


Child of Bulshar

by LightningSupernova



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Angst, Blood and Injury, F/F, I promise I'll make it up to her, Poor Nicole, demon Nicole, episode 3.02
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-01
Updated: 2018-09-07
Packaged: 2019-06-20 07:17:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 21,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15529041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LightningSupernova/pseuds/LightningSupernova
Summary: When the choice was between her life and that of her friends, the choice was easy. She would protect them, always!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a short one shot I came up with after seeing the latest WE episode. It takes place at the end of episode 3.02. I might use it as a start of a longer story, who knows? But for now I just needed to write something. 
> 
> This has not been BETA read, mistakes are all mine!

“Wynonna, you gotta let go!”

“Not happening!”

“If you don’t we’re both going over this cliff … Be smart Wynonna!” Nicole could hear the struggle at the top, heard Wynonna calling out for Dolls, heard the grunts of the big man fighting something.

“The earth thirsts for blood. Someone must die here today.” That was the demon talking in his deep, raw voice.

Nicole dropped a few centimeters and she heard Wynonna grunt.

“I’m slipping.” The heir sounded desperate, crying out in pain from the stress on her recently dislocated shoulder.

“Do it!” Nicole yelled, staring into the depth below. It was a long way down into the river and that was if she managed to avoid hitting the protruding rocks.

“Will it be one … or two? Or maybe three?”

_Three?_ Nicole thought, gritting her teeth. There was no way she was letting two of her friends die. She would protect them. Protect Waverly. Always!

She reached out, her fingertips just glancing off Peacemaker. With a grunt, she tried again and managed to grab the barrel of the gun. “I’m sorry, Waverly,” she mumbled, using a piece of her climbing rope to tie the gun to the ropes. Then she unclasped the hook on her harness.

When the counter weight on the rope disappeared, Wynonna was thrown backwards. Stunned, she crawled to her feet and started to frantically pull up the rope, bringing herself closer to the edge. When she pulled up the end, with Peacemaker attached to it, she stared at it for several seconds before taking her gun with trembling fingers.

“Wynonna!” Dolls calling her name broke Wynonna out of her shock. She closed her fingers around the grip of her gun and turned. Without hesitation, she pulled the trigger, hitting the surprised demon right between the eyes.

Wynonna was breathing hard, the pain and shock about to catch up with her. When she heard a shuffle at her side, she saw her sister taking a step toward the edge of the cliff, staring at the remains of the rope.

“Nicole …” Waverly breathed and she hesitated for a moment before lunging herself towards the edge. Wynonna had anticipated the move and intervened, grabbing hold of her sister.

“NICOLE!!!!!” Waverly’s cry broke Wynonna’s heart as she pulled the distraught woman tightly against her.

Dolls and Doc, the latter still getting his bearings after being smacked against the car, ran up next to them. Dolls peered over the edge, fearing what he might see.

“There’s nothing,” he said after a few moments. “She must have hit the water.” He turned to Doc, “Take them to the hospital. I’ll get Nedley to organise a search party.” He ran to Nicole’s patrol car, Doc hot on his heels. Reaching through the rolled down window, he grabbed Nicole’s radio.

“Chances of Miss Haught’s survival are slim,” Doc said, somber. He really liked the redhead.

“I know … But we owe it to her to at least try.”

Doc nodded, patted Dolls on the shoulder and left him to make the call. He had his own job to do. And that was getting both Earps to the hospital and then home.  

 

* * *

 

Several hours later found Waverly and Wynonna at the Homestead, huddled together underneath several blankets. Darkness had long fallen and there was still no news. Waverly kept staring into the fireplace, trying to ignore Doc pacing in front.

“With these temperatures … Someone falling into a frozen river …” Waverly had been repeating those facts on and on again, Wynonna trying to calm her down. “We’re talking minutes here, Wynonna … And that’s not incorporating any injuries from the fall itself.”

Wynonna grabbed her sister a little tighter, burying her face in the crook of Waverly’s neck. She felt guilty. So very guilty.

“It’s not your fault, Wynonna.” Doc sat down on the chair next to them. “Miss Haught sacrificed herself to save us all.”

“She’s not dead yet!” Wynonna snapped at him before taking a deep breath. “Haught’s tough … She’s my Haughtstuff. She’ll come barging right in here with that self righteous smirk on her face, telling us all how redheads do it better. You’ll see.”

The front door opened and three heads whipped that way, quickly deflating when seeing Dolls enter. Alone.

“Anything?” Wynonna asked in vain, as she could already read her answer in Dolls eyes.

Dolls shook his head. “Nothing. Not a trace. We’re starting our search again at first light.”

Waverly whimpered and shivered again, making Wynonna tighten her hold. Dolls went over, putting his arms around both sisters.

“I promise, I will find her!” He glanced at Doc, meeting his eyes with a grim understanding. They both knew that their rescue mission had turned into a recovery mission.

 

* * *

 

It was so freaking cold. Never had she’d been so cold. It seeped into her bones, into her soul. She was barely aware of something pulling at her arm, pulling her out of the water and dropping her unceremoniously on the hard ground.

Nicole started to cough up ice water, shivering as she opened her eyes. She saw a pair of boots and frowned in confusion. Old cowboy boots. Was it Doc that stood in front of her?

Something nudged her in the side making her groan and cough up some more water, finally able to breath once more. She managed to get her knees under her and lift her head.

An old man stood in front of her. A big cowboy hat casting shadows over his face. Although Nicole had never seen him before, she knew his name. Bulshar.

Panik kicked in and she tried to stand, groaning when she failed, crashing back down on her bruised knees. She braced herself on her hands, sore and bleeding from severe rope burn. The sound of Bulshar’s chuckle made her shiver in fright.

“I wouldn’t try to move to fast. After all, you just died.”

Nicole choked in a breath. “What are you talking about?” Her memories were still hazy, but coming back. The cliff. The fall. The freezing water. She tried standing again, glad to find her legs a bit more steady.

“No human would have survived that fall. But you are more than just a regular human, aren’t you? Nicole Haught.” Bulshar sounded smug.

“How do you know my name?”

“You are wondering who you are. What you are. You don’t know why you came to Purgatory. Why you don’t speak to your parents even though you don’t remember the fight you had.” Bulshar paused, enjoying the way Nicole’s eyes widened. “Or why you don’t feel like I’m your enemy.” He reached out, placing a hand on Nicole’s shoulder and the woman blinked in surprise. The gesture felt warm, familiar. Nicole smiled as she let Bulshar lead her away.

“You, child of Bulshar, have finally come home.”

  
  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow ... I didn't expect this much response! Thank you, all of you! You made this writer very happy this morning.
> 
> So yes, I decided to go a bit further on this one. It'll be short chapters, glimpses almost. I don't really know where this will go, but I have a couple of ideas. Feel free to add your own input in the comments!

Blood.

All she sees is blood. Everywhere. On the walls. On the ceiling. On the bodies. On herself.

She stood on shaking legs, trying to find her bearings, her eyes falling on the markings on the wall. Painted in blood.

She found the same marking again, carved into a woman's skin. The woman dead by her feet. She reached out in confusion and then stared at her hands, finding them covered up to her elbows in crimson.

What happened here?

 

* * *

 

Nicole sat up with a gasp, breathing hard as the dream faded away. She looked down at her hands, sighing in relief when seeing them clean, and rubbed at her face, sucking air into her lungs.

What a horrible dream. She could still feel the remnants clinging to the edge of her consciousness.

She looked to her side, expecting to see the sleep tussled form of her girlfriend besides her, frowning when she found the spot empty and cold. They hadn’t spend a night apart in months. Not since Alice. Shaking her head, Nicole looked around. She wasn’t in the Homestead, nor at her own house. Where the hell was she? Looking down, Nicole saw she was still wearing her uniform, rumpled with small tears at the arms from clawing at rocks.

That reminded her ... Nicole looked back at her hands, not seeing any trace from the severe rope burn. Her knees didn’t hurt either, yet she remembered smacking them against the rocks when she fell. In fact, she felt great. Not a hint of pain or soreness. Weird ...

Getting out of bed, Nicole tried to figure out where she was. It was a small room, the roof tapering down like an attic. Sunlight streamed through a small skylight above, giving the room a light and happy atmosphere. She went to the door and tried the handle, surprised to find it unlocked. She followed the hallway to the stairs and descended, taking it one slow step in front of the other as she wanted to make as little noise as possible. When she went down the first flight she started hearing voices from down below. She recognised one of the voices, the old man from yesterday, Bulshar.

“I didn’t know bad guys slummed like this,” she murmured, finding it hard to fit this clean, light house with the image of the lair of an evil mastermind demon. It was old, sure, but looked well maintained. Hell, it looked to be in better shape than the Homestead.

Sneaking down the next flight of stairs, she found the only way forward was going into the living room. She peeked around the edge of the doorway, biting down a gasp when Bulshar looked up, his dark eyes meeting her own.

“I didn’t expect you to be up and about already,” Bulshar said, his voice surprisingly soft and gentle.

Nicole swallowed and forced herself to step into the room. Her eyes fell on the man sitting at the table opposite of Bulshar, his back turned to Nicole.

“I told you, my Lord. Nikky’s from good stock.” The man stood and turned, lifting himself up to full height. He was very tall, with broad shoulders and narrow waist. His hair was peppered with grey but still held on to its ginger roots.

Taking a shaking step towards him, Nicole blinked. “Dad?”

The man smiled, “Hi sweety. It’s been too long.”

 

* * *

 

Dolls frowned as he used a black marker to cross off yet another part on the topographic map hanging on the board. There weren’t many places left to search.

“Are you sure it’s wise to continue? It’s been days.” Jeremy sat behind his desk, his sad eyes following his boss’s movements. He grieved, feeling the loss of Nicole like losing a member of his family. Because that's what they were, an unconventional family.

Dolls let out a long breath. “I promised Waverly I’d find her.” His eyes never left the map, already planning his next excursion. He was going at it alone since yesterday, Nedley couldn’t spare any more of his officers. Certainly now he lost his deputy. It had hit the sheriff hard, hit them all hard as Nicole was well loved and respected.

Jeremy nodded and turned back to his screen. “I did some calculations, using the current and the speed of the river this time of year.” He looked back at Dolls. “She could have drifted all the way to Calgary … Or even further.” He didn’t want to voice it, but he knew the chances of finding Nicole’s … body … where next to non existent.

Slamming his fists down on the table, Dolls growled. “I know!” He breathed a few times through his nose, his eyes closed to calm himself down. “But what do you want me to tell Waverly?”  

To that, Jeremy had no answer.

 

* * *

 

Wynonna lifted the bottle to her lips, grimacing as she swallowed. She took aim and fired, shooting a tin can from the wooden post. It was mildly amusing how good her aim still was, bone tired and more than halfway drunk. She hadn’t really slept in four days. She couldn’t close her eyes without hearing Nicole in her head.

_Wynonna, you gotta let go!_

_If you don’t we’re both going over this cliff!_

Scowling, Wynonna took another drink from the bottle.

Stupid Haught … Self sacrificing, goody two-shoes …

It should’ve been her. It was her gun Nicole went to retrieve. If only Wynonna had grabbed it the first time … It should have been her!

BANG!

Another can flew from the post.

Taking a breath, she looked at the Homestead in the distance, at Waverly’s bedroom window. She knew her sister was still there, in her bed beneath four blankets. She knew the ginger cat would still be in her arms. That stupid cat that kept hissing and clawing at everyone except Waverly, almost like it was mourning with her sister.

Wynonna made her way into the barn and leaned her back against the wall, letting herself slide down. She lifted the bottle to her lips, taking another mouthful as she let her head drop back against the hard wood. She felt the tear slide down her cheeks and lifted a hand to wipe it away. How were they supposed to recover from this? Losing Alice had been hard, but she knew her daughter was safe. And one day, hopefully soon, she would see her again.

But Nicole … Nicole had been the heart of their little band of misfits. Their moral compass. A friend, a protector. A drinking buddy if she needed one. A listening ear that never judged. And above all, she was Waverly’s world. Her baby sister’s world. And now she’s gone.

More tears started to trail down Wynonna’s cheeks. The heir didn’t bother wiping them away this time.

 

* * *

 

 

Nicole stared into eyes identical to her own. Small lines of age surrounded them, but that, and the gray in his hair, were the only changed Nicole found in her father. He was still the same proud, strong man she remembered him to be. 

“I think I owe you an explanation,” Victor Haught started.

Nicole arched an eyebrow and crossed her arms in front of her on the table. Bulshar had left them alone to talk. “Start with how you are connected to Bulshar.”

“ _ Lord _ Bulshar,” Victor stressed the Lord, “Is our saviour. We, you and I, are bound to him by blood. Long lost blood sure, as it was my great grandmother that was sired by him. Yet that link still remains.”

Nicole frowned. “But … He’s a demon …” Did that mean she was part demon? Bulshar already told her no ordinary human would have survived what she had. 

Victor reached out, taking one of Nicole’s hands in his own. “It means you have demon blood in your veins, Nikky. It’s been diluted by generations of humanity, but the base remains. That’s why we formed the Cult of Bulshar. To celebrate and rejoice our demon side. Especially now our Lord has risen again.”

Pulling her hand back, Nicole shivered. “Why can’t I remember anything? From before I came here to Purgatory. Why is everything … fuzzy?” 

With a sad shake of his head, Victor gazed upon his daughter. “That was an unfortunate accident. An unforeseen side-effect from the protecting magic of the triangle. You came here to help free our Lord, to help the Widows. But even they could not see who you where.”

Nicole swallowed, trying to take it all in. Then she remembered that dream she had. “The massacres … I felt like I was a survivor. But I wasn’t, wasn’t I?” 

Shaking his head, Victor smiled. “When you were fourteen, you took your place as a high priestess. That was 2004.”

2004 … The massacre in Brimfield, Illinois.

Nicole had to fight back the urge to throw up. She had seen the crime scene photos, seen the sixteen victims. Dismembered, disemboweled … Was that … her?

“I’m sure your memories will return as you remain in the presence of our Lord.”

Nicole shook her head, “I can’t stay here. I have to go back.” She suddenly remembered. “Waverly … she’ll think I’m dead. I have to get back to Waverly.” She jumped to her feet.

Victor gave her a knowing grin. “It seems you and I share the same weakness … We always fall for the wrong women.” He stood and grabbed Nicole by the shoulders. “But in the end they always betray you. How do you think she’ll react when she finds out who you really are? Or better, how will the heir react? I’m sure the oldest Earp has a bullet with your name written all over it.” 

“Waverly loves me,” Nicole mumbled, feeling the fight drain right out of her. After all, she just found out she’s a mass murderer. And part demon. 

Victor pulled his daughter against his chest, feeling Nicole tuck her head underneath his chin. “It’ll be alright, Nikky. I promise.”

Nicole couldn’t help but lean into his chest.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, thanks to everyone for the comments and/or kuddos. Earpers are truly the best!

“Where the hell is he, Dolls?” Wynonna growled, slamming her fists on the table between dusty old books. The heir was getting restless. “It’s been weeks.”

Dolls shook his head, not having anything else to say. He waved his hands at the table and desks, all piled high with books and files. Everything they had on Bulshar and his cult. His eye fell on Waverly, who sat on a chair, nose buried in files. The youngest Earp looked pale and exhausted, still not sleeping well after everything that had happened. 

“I’ve got nothing new,” Waverly said when she felt his eyes on her, in a small and sad voice, not lifting her eyes from the text she was reading. 

“Baby girl? Should you even be here? Why don’t you go home and rest.” Wynonna was worried about her sister, who seemed to have lost the spark that made her, well, Waverly.

At that, the brunette did look up, only to glare at her sister. “I’ve rested enough. More rest isn’t going to bring Nicole back. Nothing will. The only thing left to do is find and kill Bulshar!” She dropped her eyes again, flipping a page in her file. 

“Uhm ... guys?” Jeremy called out from behind his screen. “I’ve finally got through to those files you wanted. Big deep BBD shit.” It had taken him days to hack into them. Now he just hoped they would add something to their investigation. He started scanning them, “Holy cow!”

“What?” Dolls asked as he moved to stand besides the young man. 

“Did you know BBD was investigating Nicole?” Jeremy asked Dolls, causing both Wynonna and Waverly to look their way.

“No. I didn’t.” Dolls took a closer look at the screen. “They’d been following her for years.” He read the rest of the sparse info in silence before looking at Waverly. “Did Nicole ever told you about where she was before she came here?”

Waverly thought it over for a moment. “I know she went climbing a lot. And went to Vegas.” She remembered that coming up when Nicole’s wife suddenly came into the picture. “But other than that … She never talked about her past much. She didn’t talk to her parents, they had a fight or something. I don’t … I never really asked … God I was a terrible girlfriend.” Waverly buried her face in her hands, overcome by regret.

“Hey hey, Baby girl.” Wynonna ran over and took her sister in her arms. “It’s not your fault.” She let Waverly sob into her arms. 

Dolls took a deep breath, “Wynonna’s right. It’s not. Plus, I don’t think Nicole remembered much about her past.” When three pair of eyes focussed on him in confusion, he explained. “Something she told me when we found that massacre in Pussy Willows. She thought that there was a survivor once … and that it was her.” 

Waverly sat up straight. “She had a panic attack. Right before the vampires … I’d forgotten about it.” 

“I think she was remembering something,” Dolls said. He pointed back at the files Jeremy uncovered. “Apparently she’d been spotted in Illinois 2004 during the killings there. And again in 2009 in Pennsylvania. Her father was on BBD’s blacklist, so they kept close taps on the entire family.”

“Nicole came here early 2016. That’s still seven years,” Wynonna added.

“Wait … What are you insinuating?” Waverly was on her feet now, ready to defend Nicole.

Wynonna reached for her hand. “Nothing yet, Baby girl. We’re just throwing it all out there.” 

Waverly shook Wynonna off. “You can’t possible think Nicole had anything to do with those killings. Nicole? Who’s heart was made out of pure gold. Who’d never lift a finger to hurt someone innocent. Who gave her life to protect us?!”

“Of course not!” Dolls called out, loud enough to break Waverly out of the train of thoughts running in her head. “We’ll figure it out, I promise.” 

“You should really stop making promises you can’t keep.” It ended in a sob, as Waverly stomped her feet and ran out. 

Wynonna groaned, meeting Dolls’ eyes. “I’ll take her home,” she said and left to find her distraught sister.

Dolls watched her leave and closed his eyes. It still pained him greatly that he wasn’t able to keep his first promise, to find Nicole and bring her home. 

“You ok, big guy?” Jeremy asked him. 

Dolls just nodded, going back to his files.

 

* * *

 

Nicole was running. She did a lot of running these days. Through the snow and ice, tucked into an oversized hoodie. It wouldn’t do for anyone to recognise her. 

Running made her feel … alive. It always had, but these days, since her fall … it was invigorating. And it helped her get away from the prying eyes of the rest of the cult members. They didn’t take very well to her return. 

They envied her for her position. Called her a traitor and a slacker. That her heart wasn’t fully into it. And Nicole had to admit … They were right. It never really was.

Staying around Bulshar had helped with her memories, the cloud covering it disappeared as the magic of the Ghost River Triangle lost its hold. She remembered the teachings, remembered her father lecturing her about Bulshar’s return, how he would rebuild the world to his image. How there would be no more war, no more conflict. She remembered her mother’s reaction to it all, calling them out that there would be no more free will. She also remembered never seeing her again after that day. Her father kicked up her education then,  indoctrinating her fully into the cult at the age of ten, reaching the rank of high priestess at sixteen. 

Then the killings started ...

Nicole halted her steps, leaning against a tree to catch her breath. She was close to the Homestead now, closer than she had been for weeks. No matter how much she fought against it, her heart kept calling her back there. But how could she ever look Waverly into the eye again? After all this, after all she’d done. She was about to turn back when the sound of a car reached her ears and she ducked, hiding herself from view. Between the bushes, she easily spotted Waverly’s red Jeep, driving the way home. On instinct, Nicole followed.

She ran to a spot as close as she could safely get, out of sight but able to see what was transpiring on the driveway. She always did have a good eyesight … apparently thanks to her demon side. She saw Wynonna get out of the driver’s side and move over to the other, throwing the door open and helping Waverly exit the vehicle. Nicole growled. Was Waverly injured? But the youngest Earp just sank into her sister's arms, her shoulders shaking and it hurt Nicole even more. 

She waited until they went inside before standing. Waverly looked pale and tired. Waverly was hurting … and it was all her fault. And once the truth came out, it would hurt her even more. 

Sweet and gentle Waverly. The woman she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. Wants to spend the rest of her life with. 

With a sigh, Nicole turned and ran the way back to Bulshar’s lair … A nice white house on the outskirts of the town.

 

* * *

 

“You went to see her didn’t you?”

Nicole froze as she entered the house through the back entrance. Her father was reading the papers at the kitchen table. She felt like she was a teenager again, getting caught staying out past curfew. Her father motioned at the chair and she sat down, preparing for a lecture.

“I know how you feel,” he started. “I once felt the same. Your mother … She was hard to resist even for me. But in the end, the only good thing she gave me was … you.” He stared into Nicole’s eyes and she swallowed, fighting not to drop her gaze. “In the end, they all betray us, Nikky. They lack a certain … vision … an understanding about what we are trying to accomplish.” He took a breath, “Humans only see black and white. They think we’re evil because we sacrifice some of them in order to create something wonderful for everyone else. They are selfish.”

“No …” Nicole mumbled, failing to stop herself. “Waverly is the most selfless person I have ever met. She is good. Maybe if I can explain …” She yelped out in pain when Victor grabbed her wrist. 

“She is an Earp. She will never understand. Neither will your other so-called friends. They will hunt you down and kill you once they find out who you really are!” Victor was starting to elevate his voice, spitting out the words. “You are not to go near those humans again, you hear me!” Then, as if he was burned, he released Nicole’s wrist and took a calming breath. “It will soon be over either way.”

“What do you mean?”

Victor stared into her eyes. “The Reckoning is near,” he said with a grin, a look of pure rapture on his face. 

Nicole swallowed in fear.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi again to the next chapter of this story. I've been on vacation so I took a bit of a break from writing. Hopefully I can get myself completely back in the writing gear now.
> 
> Thanks to all for the comments and/or Kudos!
> 
> Hope you enjoy it!

This was one of the hardest things Nedley has had to do in his career as sheriff of Purgatory. He had lost quite a few officers during the years, much more than was the norm in their line of work. He, and with him the rest of the whole town, ignored the how and why for so long. Blaming it all on coyotes and the harsh, Canadian weather. But this, this was something else. His deputy went down a cliff, a climbing accident. Sure, there was a demon wreaking havoc on the top and Nicole cutting her line saved the lives of her friends. It probably saved the whole town in the process. But only a selective group of people knew that. Nedley wished he could give her a medal for it, Nicole deserved that and so much more.

He turned down the ignition and got out of his cruiser, making his way to the front door of the Earp homestead with heavy feet. As he walked up the first step of the porch, the door opened and Wynonna poked her head out, a mug of coffee in her hand. He hoped it was just coffee anyway, at this hour of the day.

“Thought you were frozen to your seat, Nedley.” The eldest Earp threw open the door, giving the sheriff free access. He’d been sitting there for at least fifteen minutes and she was about to head out there herself.

Nedley nodded in thanks and removed his hat as he entered, shaking off the snow on his boots on the doormat. 

“Sheriff?” Waverly appeared in the doorway, her arms wrapped around herself to ward of the cold. Wynonna stepped over to her sister and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling Waverly close.

Nedley felt his heart sink when he took in Waverly’s appearance. The young woman still looked tired and worn. He fiddled with his hat. “I euhm … I wanted you to hear it from me. I’m going to officially declare Nicole as deceased.” He took a deep breath, not lifting his eyes to meet either of the sisters. “That way we can finally lay her to rest.”

“Lay what to rest? We haven't even found her b-body.” Waverly buried deeper into Wynonna’s side, feeling her sister kiss her on the side of her head.

“It’s a chance for us all to say goodbye,” Nedley said after a moment of silence. He took a breath and faced Waverly. “After Nicole got divorced, she made you her next of kin. So I would like to ask you for your help in planning the wake and other … things.” Funeral was such a hard word.

Waverly let out a small sob, but nodded. 

“Thanks, Nedley.” Wynonna gave the man a grim smile. They never really saw eye-to-eye but a form of respect was growing between them.

Nedley dipped his head and put his hat back on. “I'm going to put through the paperwork then. How about we throw something together at Shorty’s in a few days? I know a lot of the townsfolk want to pay their respects.” 

“I'll make sandwiches,” Waverly said, forcing out a small smile.

“That sounds like a wonderful idea.” Nedley was glad to see the smile. Maybe they'd all turn out ok after all. He said his goodbyes and turned to leave, Wynonna closing the door behind him.

“You ok with this, baby girl?” Wynonna asked her sister.

Waverly took a deep breath. “Honestly? No … But it had to happen right? Nedley needs to be able to go look for a new deputy. He couldn't do that with Nicole still missing.”

Wynonna rubbed Waverly’s shoulder. “I'm going to go drink to that … and tell Doc. Wanna come?”

“No, I’m ok. I need to feed Jane anyway.”

Understanding her sister's need to be alone, Wynonna just nodded and took her jacket from the hook by the door. The two of them handled their grief differently. Wynonna with whiskey, Waverly with that stupid cat. 

“I won't be long,” she said as she left. “Love you, baby girl.”

“You too, Nonna.” Waverly watched through the window as her sister got in the truck and drove away. Then she sat down on the couch, covered herself in a blanket and patted her leg. Calamity Jane hopped into her lap and immediately started purring, curled into a ball,  Waverly’s fingers trailing through orange fur.

 

* * *

 

“I don’t think Shorty’s is a good idea.” Nicole told her father, the both of them staking out the bar. “It’s owned by Doc Holliday himself. And he’s close to the Earps … Very close.”

Victor lowered his binoculars. “It will send the strongest message. And will remove one of the heir’s allies. It will weaken her.” He squinted as he looked at his daughter, “Unless you have more objections?” He dared her.

Nicole dropped her eyes. “No father.”

“Good. See that it’s done.” He waited until Nicole nodded, her shoulders slumped, and walked away. This would be her final loyalty test.

With a deep breath, Nicole gave one last look at Shorty’s. 

_ This was it _ , she thought. The side she stood on would be decided tonight.

 

* * *

 

Doc watched as a drunk Wynonna was being escorted out of the door by Dolls. He had called his big friend, knowing he would keep her safe until she sobered up once again. With a long sigh, Doc grabbed a couple of glasses from the bar and started rinsing them. He was worried, about both Earps. About them all if he was honest. 

It had been two months since they lost one of their own. And damn, did they still feel it. The void Nicole’s demise left behind.

The hardest part was the waiting. Waiting for Bulshar’s next move. 

He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't immediately notice the newcomers enter the bar. Four figures walked through the door, their features hidden by hoods and cloaks. Hoodies and dirty, torn up jeans. The patrons of the bar fell silent, staring at the dark figures blocking the door. 

Doc looked up at the sudden silence and pulled his gun from his belt. “This is a fine establishment, gentlemen. I would very like to keep it that way,” he drawled, cocking his gun. Two more figures appeared from the back entrance and Doc let out a curse under his breath. His other hand went to his pocket to his phone, wishing he was handy enough with the device to dial for help without taking his eyes off the intruders.

A couple of patrons started to get restless and one stood, trying to get past the black clad men. A hand struck out, claws at the end, ripping out the poor man’s throat. He let out a cry, cut short as he fell, drowning is his own blood. A wave of shock passed through the room, seconds before the screaming started. 

Doc fired his gun at the first demon, the claws telling him they were, indeed, demons. It hit him straight in the chest, throwing him back as his hood fell off. His face was human and as he held out his hands to catch himself, Doc saw that only his left hand ended in a large claw. The other was normal. What the devil where these creatures?

The others reacted, roaring, as they attacked. Doc fired another round, ducking behind his bar as one of the creatures dived for him. He kicked out with his booth at its face. Standing up again, he shot a round at the closest figure. A hand grabbed his shoulder, pulling him over the bar. Doc grunted as his back hit the top, his gun falling from his hands as he used his fists to try and fight his assailant. Claws were reaching for his throat and Doc was starting to see black spots, thinking that his death was imminent, that the next time he’d open his eyes he’d be back in hell.

Suddenly, the weight was gone and he blinked in confusion, rolling off the bar. One of the creatures, this one in a black hoodie and faded jeans, had its claw wrapped around the head of Doc’s assailant. 

Doc rolled onto his back, his eyes wide as the creature slammed its claw down into the ground, the head in its grasp smashing to bits with a sickening crunch.

“Traitor!” one of the other demons roared, dropping the bloody corpse of a civilian. A second one joined him and together they attacked. 

Doc crawled backwards, away from the fight. He found his gun admits the carnage and pointed it at the fighting demons. He had a hard time processing what just happened. Did one of those … things? … Just save his life? 

The creature looked different that the others, Doc now noticed. For one, its claw was bigger, much bigger, and glowing scarlet in the dim lights. Almost like it was made of glass. It slashed out, ripping through an attacker like a knife through butter. The last demon turned and tried to flee, but a scarlet claw got hold of his leg and pulled him back, kicking and screaming. The creature jumped him and slit his throat. Then it stood, breathing hard through its nose, staring at its blood covered claw. After a few moments, it relaxed its stance and the claw transformed into a human, though still blood covered, hand.

“Give me one good reason not to pull the trigger,” Doc asked, cocking his gun, and waited for the creature to answer.

 

* * *

 

Nicole’s instincts were at war. As soon as the fighting began, her demon side screamed for blood. But then she saw the old man who sat at a table close to the bar. James Smith, she remembered. She had helped clean the snow out his driveway a couple of times last winter, him insisting she called him James and not Mr Smith as it made him feel old. 

That was what she did. Help people. Protect people. Nicole smothered a cry when a black claw pulled the man from his chair. 

Was it that moment that changed her perspective? Or when she heard Doc cry out as he was pulled onto the bar? Doc ... her friend … about to die at the hand of her demon kin. 

_ No _ .

She couldn't let that happen.

Damn the consequences!

When she pulled Ralph of Doc and crushed his head against the floor, she felt the demon inside her roar. He was an asshole anyway. She didn't hold back when the others attacked, getting a feeling of grim satisfaction with every smothered cry. She knew she couldn't let them escape. They would run straight back to Bulshar ... and to her father. If she wanted a chance, she needed to end them. 

But then it was over, her claw deflating back to its human form, and she heard the click of Doc's gun. For a moment, she closed her eyes, wishing he would just get it over with. Yet, she knew Doc was a man of too much honor to shoot someone in the back. Even a demon. So she let out a breath and lifted a hand, slowly pushing down her hood.

The red hair was enough for the gunslinger, even if the woman didn't turn around. “Nicole? … Good gracious, what have they done to you?” Doc stammered in shock, lowering his gun.

Nicole looked over her shoulder, not being able to stomach facing her friend. “They didn't do anything to me. This  _ is _ me … the real me … I had just … forgotten.”

“What are you talking about? Forgotten how? What?”

Shaking her head, Nicole finally turned around. “I'm one of them, Holliday.” She motioned to the dead demons by her feet. “Demonspawn. The magic from the Triangle made me forget. Lord Bulshar brought it back.” She pointed at Doc's gun. “You should pull that trigger. It would make things easier for us both.”

“You should know by now that I never do things easy,” Doc replied, putting the gun back in its holster. He tried to ignore Nicole’s use of  _ Lord _ Bulshar, or the fact that she just decimated three powerful demons without breaking a sweat, and stepped closer. Nicole didn't move as he wrapped his arms around her, feeling the tears sting his eyes. 

It took Nicole a few moments to gather herself and to let herself relax into the embrace. But the moment she did, she couldn't stop the sob from escaping, nor the tears that spilled from her eyes. Doc pulled her closer, cradling her head against his shoulder as she cried, his gentle fingers buried in her hair. 

“What have I done?” Nicole mumbled between the sobs.

Doc sighed, “As far as I can tell, you just saved my life … again. Much obliged.” He felt Nicole sniff at that.

Slowly, he felt the sobbing ease and took a step back, leading Nicole to the steps to the bar and pushed her down. He rummaged behind the bar for an unbroken bottle and took a seat next to the redhead. He uncorked the bottle of bourbon and took a swig, then handed it to Nicole. “So … run me through it again?”

Nicole swallowed a big gulp, wincing as the bourbon burned down her throat. She handed the bottle back. “Bulshar’s my great, great, great … something grandfather.” She looked down at her boots. “They call us demonspawn and we get drafted into the cult from childhood.” 

“Those are a lot off greats there. I didn't know demonblood could run so deep,” Doc mused. He didn't even think demons and human could procreate altogether. “And the whole claw …” He held out his hand, clawing his fingers. “Effective.”

Nicole huffed, “Yeah … for some reason my blood runs purer than most.” She pointed at the corpses, “I’m stronger than them. My father is even stronger. He’s Bulshar’s right hand man.”

Doc blew out a breath at that and took another swig of bourbon. They stayed silent for a while, passing the bottle between them. “Nedley is going to declare you deceased.” Doc finally said.

“Let him … It's better that way.”

“What?! You're not dead, you're very much alive. Waverly is going to be ecstatic!”

Nicole stopped him there, “No! You can't tell her … or anyone.” 

Doc gave her a confused look, “But why? Everyone is devastated. Dolls, Nedley and the rest of the officers searched for weeks to try and find you. Wynonna has barely spend one moment sober since …” Nicole shot him a look. “Ok, that's not  _ that _ unusual, but Waverly … Waverly was … is … inconsolable. She barely eats, barely sleeps, is obsessed with her research. We're all terribly worried.” He paused for a moment and looked at Nicole. “It's like she lost half her soul.”

Nicole sighed deep and sad. “It's better than the alternative. That she finds out I’m … this.” She held out her left hand and Doc watched in fascination as it morphed into her red claw. “And what I’ve done.” She turned her claw back into a hand. “I'm a murderer, Doc. I deserve to die for the things I've done.”

“We’re all murderers, Nicole. Me, you, Doc, Wynonna … well, maybe not Waverly.” Doc put the bottle on the floor and took Nicole’s hand in his own, looking into her eyes. “It’s the price we pay for the things we need to do. Sometimes  _ we  _ need to get our hands dirty so other people can live their lives in peace. It’s the other side of being called a hero. And you, my friend, are the best of us.” 

Nicole dropped her eyes and swallowed, getting choked up. She took a deep breath and picked her side. “Bulshar’s strong, very strong. But he needs his ring to be complete, he’s searching for it. If he finds that, he’ll be strong enough to tear down the barrier that surrounds the Ghost River Triangle. He’ll rip a hole right through Purgatory, straight down into hell. Demons will overrun the world, feeding on human souls. That’s why he needs sacrifices, to keep the demons there fed and happy. They would tear him apart otherwise.”

“So if we stop him from finding the ring …” Doc asked, finally glad to have a lead, the start of a plan.

Nicole jumped to her feet. “I’ve been here too long already. If I stay by his side, I can help you guys stop him.”

“That will be dangerous. What if he finds out you betrayed him?”

“Then we have to make sure he won’t suspect a thing.” Nicole pointed at Doc’s gun. “Shoot me … Don’t worry, I’m pretty damn hard to kill.”

Doc’s eyes went wide as he got to his feet. “Are you serious?” 

“It needs to be convincing. Or I am as good as dead.” Nicole blew out a breath, knowing it would hurt like a bitch but it was their only shot, literally. “This is what the good guys do right? Getting our hands dirty.”

Doc nodded and before Nicole could blink, the gunslinger had drawn his gun and fired. The bullet ripped a hole through Nicole’s shoulder and she was thrown into the wall, leaving a trail of blood red spatters behind as she slid down to the floor. Doc closed his eyes at the sight of his bleeding friend.

Nicole crawled to her feet with difficulty, groaning in pain and grabbing at her shoulder. “Please don’t tell the others, not yet.” When she saw Doc nod, she stumbled out of the back door.

‘Please take care of yourself, Miss Haught .... For all our sakes,” Doc whispered into the empty bar. Then he took his phone and started to make a few calls.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone!
> 
> Maybe a bit of a filler chapter. Things will start to get interesting in the next part, I promise!!
> 
> Cheers

“Your haste almost got your daughter killed.” Bushar stared into the fire, not looking at the man in the chair next to him. Right now, he didn’t deserve it.

Victor glanced towards the kitchen, his eyes narrowing at the soft groans and moans coming from the woman currently laying on the table, getting her shoulder stitched back together again. “I send five men in there with her. It was only one gunslinger … She could’ve done that alone!” He turned back to his master. “Something's off. I fear she takes to much after her mother after all.” 

Bulshar took a sip from the glass in his hands and took his time to contemplate. “She came back here, did she not? The only place she can go. We are her family, the only people that will ever see her as she truly is. When the reckoning is over, this will world will be her home, our home.” He sighed, “But until that happened … Keep an eye on her. If you truly doubt her allegiance … Well, I trust you’ll do the right thing.” His dark eyes bore into Victor and the man nodded.

“Always, my Lord.” Victor bowed his head and turned, walking into the kitchen. He was glad to have his daughter back, but wouldn’t hesitate to take her out of the picture if she endangered the mission.

A woman was finishing up the sutures in Nicole’s shoulder. She tied the last knot, bowed to Victor and left, not uttering a single word. Nicole grimaced as she sat up, buttoning her shirt. She was fumbling with the top buttons and Victor reached out, gently nudging her hands away and finished the job. “There you go.” He supported Nicole as she got off the table and into a chair. “You’ll be as good as new in a few days. Now … tell me again what happened?”

Nicole shrugged, “I warned you about Holliday. He’s not just any gunslinger. We managed to take out the civilians, but he took us out one by one. I took a hit, knocked me out. By the time I came to, it was over and Doc was nowhere to be seen.”

“Did he recognise you?”

Nicole shook her head, “No, I don’t think so. Had my hoodie on.” 

“Good … Go and rest. We might need to speed up our plans now that the heir will be on guard.”

Getting to her feet, swaying for a few seconds, Nicole shot him a look. “What do you mean? Have we found our Lord’s ring?” 

Victor smiled, “We might have an idea where to look next.” He turned and left the room, leaving Nicole to stare at his back.

 

* * *

 

Dolls’ truck came to a screeching stop next to Nedley’s cruiser. The Sheriff barely glanced up from his notepad from where he was leaning against the hood of the car. As Dolls stepped out of his truck, closely followed by the two Earps, he lifted his head. “It ain't pretty,” he warned them as they passed him. 

Dolls just scoffed and walked inside with big steps. He took in the grizzly scene in one big swoop, knowing Nedley would be cataloguing the details himself, not having any other officers to hand it on to. Dolls spotted Doc on a stool by the bar, one hand holding an ice pack to his head, the other a bottle of whiskey. “You ok?” he asked the gunslinger. 

“Marvelous,” Doc drawled, sarcasm dripping from the words. But he couldn’t stop the small grin from creeping up his face when he recognised Dolls relief at his safety. They sure had come a long way.

“Thanks for waiting until I left to start the party!” Wynonna walked in, loud and boisterous.

Doc frowned, “You sobered up already? Now it looks like I water down my booze.” At exactly that moment, Wynona tripped over her own feet and only Waverly grabbing her stopped her from crashing to the floor. “I stand corrected.” He watched as Waverly guided Wynonna to a chair and sat her down.

“She insisted on coming,” Dolls said, a smile on his face. Then he took a breath and his face turned stony again. It was time for business. “What happened here?” He started to walk between the bodies. 

“Bunch of demons just showed up, five of them. Bulshar’s goons.”

Dolls halted at the corpse of a demon by the door, noticing that this one wasn’t killed by a gunshot. He looked at Doc. “This one was ripped apart.”

“Yeah … They sorta turned on eachother?” Doc tried, the last word sounding like a question. It was almost true. 

Dolls raised an eyebrow but let it be for now. He turned back to the body, snapped on a pair of surgical gloves and ran his fingers down the demon’s claw.

Waverly went to him, her natural curiosity winning from the fright. “What are those things?” she asked.

“Demonspawn … BBD has encountered them before. They are what happens when you mix demons and humans.” 

Waverly scrunched her nose, “eww … People actually do that? Sleeping with demons.” Her eyes widened as she glanced at her sister, remembering Wynonna’s tryst with a revenant. 

“Hey,” Wynonna called out indignant and shot her a look. The move was without anger, only filled with mild annoyance and they both knew it.  

“Sorry,” Waverly peeped with a small, apologetic wave.

Dolls shook his head, fighting the grin on his face at the normalcy of the interaction. He cleared his throat, snapped off his gloves and got to his feet. “It’s rumored that it can spread through generations. So you can have one demon ancestor and end up demonspawn generations later. BBD never really got to investigate further ... for obvious reasons. But maybe we can find some leads in their archives.” 

“Bulshar’s looking for a ring,” Doc said. “I overheard the demons talking about it. Said he needs it to open up a portal to hell or something.”

Wynonna dropped her head on the table, “ugh … research … again? I just wanna shoot something.” She knew she was whining, but couldn’t care less. 

“It’s something. If we can find that ring first … Maybe we can finally get one step ahead of him.” Dolls looked at Waverly, knowing she was the best researcher they had. “Get started on it. Call Jeremy to help. Try to find a picture or a description … anything … that could identify that ring.” He glanced at Wynonna, “Hopefully, we’ll get you shooting something soon.” 

Waverly nodded. “I’ll update Nedley as I pass him,” she said and walked out, followed by her sister, Waverly glad to see that Wynonna was a bit soberder on her feet.

Dolls moved to Doc, “There was a sixth demon. I see the marks.” He pointed at the far wall. “And you shot it. Yet it got away.” He lifted an eyebrow, waiting for the gunslinger to respond.

Doc dropped the icepack on the bar and took a long drink from the bottle. “It was Nicole,” he said, his voice a mere whisper as he didn’t want anyone to overhear them.

Dolls’ eyes widened in shock and he was at loss for words for a moment. “Haught’s alive?” He ran a hand across his face, not quite believing what he just heard. 

“Yup … and one of those demonspawn thingies you just mentioned.” 

“She lied to us?” Somehow Dolls found that hard to believe.

Doc shook his head. “No. She couldn’t remember. Something to do with the magic of the Ghost River Triangle, I didn’t get the full story.” He blew out a breath. “She saved my life, Dolls … By betraying Bulshar.” He motioned at the slain demons, “She’s strong, ripped them all apart like toy puppets … And she did that for me.” 

“Where is she now? She didn’t go back, did she?” That would be dangerous, Dolls knew. If Bulshar found out … He glanced back at the splatters on the wall. “You shot her to give her a cover.” He pinched his nose when Doc nodded, a haunted look in his eyes. “And she’s the one who told you about that ring.”

“She didn’t want me to tell you, all of you. She’s haunted by what she is, what she did.”

Dolls knew for sure now. “The massacres BBD was covering up. She was there, participating maybe?” 

Doc shrugged. “She called herself a murderer. But there was regret and pain in her eyes. Dolls, she grew up in a cult. You can’t really blame her for turning up a little … unstable. Yet she’s afraid of what we’ll think of her. I think that’s why she went back, knowing it could get her killed.” 

“Let’s keep this between us for now,” Dolls suggested. He didn’t want to get Waverly’s hopes up, if Nicole was unable to get back to them after all. And Wynonna couldn’t keep a secret if her life depended on it.

They heard Nedley reenter the bar, the coroner in his track. As the man in white overalls started working, Nedley went to Dolls and Doc. “I’m getting too old for this shit,” he murmured, the two other men wincing in sympathy. With Nicole gone and Lonnie eaten by vampires, Nedley had no one to share the burden. “I send requests to every agency in the country, but no one is willing to send people to this area. Not even rookies.” He couldn’t blame them, the death count was beginning to get questionable.

“I’ll help,” Dolls offered, earning him a surprised nod in thanks from the sheriff. 

Doc stood and retrieved his coat and hat from the bar. “I’ll see if I can help the other with their research.” He touched the rim of his hat in greetings and left the bar, tugging on his coat as he went.

Dolls looked at Nedley. “Well, sheriff … How can I help?”

Nedley blew out a breath, glad he wasn’t alone in this.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for your continious support!
> 
> I'm not completely happy with the ending, so I might add a bit more later. But it's late and I wanted to post this before going to sleep :)

Days passed filled with research and revenant hunting. Wynonna, Doc and Dolls went out to actively stalk and hunt the remaining revenants. Waverly had discovered more books and files in the city archives and it only took a little pressure from Nedley to get her access. She found detailed descriptions for everyone the lawman Wyatt Earp had ever arrested and put to death. Jeremy digitised everything she found and they managed to cross-reference to the date they already had. The result was a handy program with files about nearly every revenant they needed to hunt. With descriptions and pictures when available. 

Their search of the ring was less fruitful however, as demons and other magical being liked to use rings. They wore them like rappers wore golden chains.

“It’s useless,” Waverly groaned, dropping her head on the table. 

Jeremy frowned and ran his hand through the dozens of rings they had gathered on the table in front of them. Some came from the archives of BBD, others they collected from revenants. A whole heap came from the Gardner house, left overs from the Widows. They were all sizes and shapes. Gold, silver, black or colorful. With or without stone inlay. 

The only thing they had in common was magic. Though Jeremy wouldn’t be surprised if a couple of fakes got into their pile. “Without a better description, we could just as well play a round of eeny, meeny, miny, moe.” He picked up a large, silver ring with a big black stone and looked at his reflection in the gem. He felt a shudder run down his spine and dropped it back on the table. “Creepy things,” he murmured.

A loud bang announced the arrival of Wynonna and the others, the heir throwing open the door. 

“Good hunt?” Waverly asked her sister.

Wynonna beamed, “Hell yeah, Baby Girl. Two more to cross off the list. At this rate we’ll be through them by Christmas.” She tossed her coat over the back of a chair and dropped down in it, propping her feet up on the desk. She eyed the contents of the table. “You guys got any wiser?”

“Uhm … nope,” Jeremy said with a grimace.

Dolls took the plastic box from underneath the table and swiped all the rings back in there with one swoop of his arm. “Enough for today. It’s time we get to Shorty’s.” His announcement put a bit of a dampener on the mood and he let out a deep, sad sigh as he picked up the box to put in his safe.

Today was the day they buried one of their own. Figuratively speaking, as the only thing Nicole would get was a nametag on the graveyard. The same one that hung above Nedley’s desk.  

Without words, the group grabbed their coats and made their way outside. Wynonna slung and arm around Waverly’s shoulder, holding her sister tight as they walked. Waverly let her head rest against Wynonna’s shoulder. She was doing better now, slowly. But part of her knew she’d never fully recover from the loss. A part of her died with Nicole. The love they shared was just too intense, too powerful and too short.

 

* * *

 

It felt like half of Purgatory had gathered outside Shorty’s. A lot of them holding candles, flickering the dusk. 

Nicole felt a tear slip down her cheek at the sight of Nedley in front, talking to the crowd with her badge in his hand, though it was too far for her to understand the words.

“You’ve gone soft during your time here.” It was Victor, who approached Nicole from behind. Nicole kept her eyes facing forward and didn’t respond. Victor braced his hands on the ledge of the building they stood on and looked at the gathering below. “It is an impressive sight. You must have done something right.”

“They’re good people.” Nicole gazed to her side. “And I was lucky to serve them.” 

Victor closed his eyes for a moment. But before he could say anything, Nicole continued. “My loyalties lie with Lord Bulshar, father. As they always have. Officer Haught is dead. Buried.”

“I’m happy to hear that,” Victor said as he stood to his full height. “You know the consequences if it wasn’t.” 

Nicole dropped her gaze. She knew her father would kill her without a second thought if he doubted her loyalty. Like he killed her mother, the woman he claimed to have loved. 

“So that’s the heir.”

At Victor’s words, Nicole looked back down. Sure enough, there stood Wynonna next to Nedley, her dark hair wildly blowing in the wind. Waverly was pressed into her side and Nicole let out a shuddering breath at the sight. 

Victor chuckled. “You have good taste, I’ll ive you that. Too bad she’s human … and an Earp.”

“She’s not really an Earp,” Nicole mumbled.

_ Interesting _ , Victor thought. “Then perhaps you can plead your case to our Lord. Perhaps she can be spared. We need human servants after the Reckoning after all.” That would be another trick to bind his daughter to the cause. 

Nicole seemed to mull it over and started to grin. “Yeah … I can try.” She hid a wince when Victor tapped her on the back a little too hard.

“Good … I’m heading back. Don’t take too long.” With that said, Victor left the rooftop.

Nicole took a breath and closed her eyes to focus. Of course she would never go to Bulshar with her request. She could never do that to Waverly. Turn her into a servant after killing all her friends and family. 

When Nicole opened her eyes again, there was a look of determination in them. She reached into her pocket for a black beanie and put it on, making sure her hair was completely covered. Then she pulled a bandana to cover her up to her nose. It wouldn’t do to be recognised on the evening of her own funeral. She went to the ledge of the building, away from the people and jumped down the two story building, landing in a crouch. She stood and started to run towards the station, hoping everyone would be out for the night. There was something she needed to do.

 

* * *

 

Wynonna had about enough of the mushy bullshit. She was touched that so many people had showed up to pay their respects, but with Nedley going on and on about what a great deputy and overall wonderful person Nicole was … well, she needed a drink … now. Or she’d break down herself and that was not an option right now. 

She nudged Waverly with her nose and gave her a small smile. “You ok, Baby Girl?” she whispered and gently wiped away the tear running down Waverly’s cheek. 

Waverly gave a nod. “Yeah … well, not right now, but I’ll be ok.” She sighed when Wynonna squeezed her shoulder. 

“You mind if I skip out for a couple of minutes? I really need a breather.” Wynonna glanced at Dolls, who stood besides them. The big man gave a nod to Wynonna’s unspoken question. He’d watch over Waverly for a while.

Waverly shook her head with a smile. She knew Wynonna wasn’t good with these type of events and loved her for trying. To be there for her. “Go, Nonna. I’ll be fine.” She wrapped her arms around herself when Wynonna stepped back and let out a sigh when Dolls took a step closer, lending his strength. 

Giving Dolls a big, thankful smile, Wynonna weaved her way through the dozens of people gathered. Once she found herself alone in the darkness, she felt like she could breathe freely again. She turned towards the police station, knowing Nedley kept a good bottle of scotch hidden in his desk. She’d buy him a new one in the morning. 

The place looked dark and deserted on first sight, but while Wynonna rummaged in her pockets for her keys, she noticed that the door was slightly ajar. Strange, was someone still at work? But who? Nedley was at the funeral … Wynonna pulled Peacemaker out of his holster and went inside, silently closing the door behind her.

The hallway was dark and silent and Wynonna snuck through it, gun pointing forward. After a few steps, she could hear faint noises come from the BBD office and cursed silently. Nothing good would be attracted to that. She wondered for a moment if she shouldn’t call for backup, but then shook her head. If they were this silent, it could only be one revenant/demon/whatever and she could handle that fine on her own. 

Wynonna held herself against the wall and looked behind the corner. A desk light was turned on, filling the room with eerie shadows, but Wynonna could clearly see the figure looking inside Dolls’ safe. She took a breath and rounded the corner, cocking Peacemaker. 

The figure froze.

 

* * *

 

Nicole knew it had to be there. She’d already checked the Gardner’s house, twice, finding it empty. And rumours were spreading of the Earps gathering a pretty nice collection of magical rings, as she hoped they would start doing. So it had to be here. She cracked open Doll’s safe, knowing the combination, and undid the lid of the box she found. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and stuck her hand into the pile of rings. She was so lost in her concentration that she didn’t hear the person snuck up on her. 

The gun cocking was unmistakable though.

“You’ve got some balls. Coming here on a day like this.” 

Nicole slowly lifted her hands in the air and stood. Doc wouldn’t shoot her in the back, but Wynonna sure would. Without hesitation. Fuck. 

“Turn around. Slowly,” Wynonna said.

Nicole hesitated. If there was one person she wanted to avoid, besides Waverly, it was Wynonna. She could attack and risk getting shot again, but that would earn her too many questions from her father. So she obeyed and turned, her eyes meeting Wynonna’s. 

Even with the beanie and the face mask, Wynonna recognised those soft brown eyes. She saw them so many times, looking at her sister with a soft and love-struck gaze. Peacemaker trembled, but she didn’t loosen or lower her grip. “What kind of a demon are you?” she spat. It had to be magical, an illusion. 

Nicole sighed and lowered one hand, slowly pulling down the face mask. “It’s me, Wynonna.” 

It took Wynonna a moment to gather her thoughts, her mouth opening and closing a couple of times, not forming words. “You’re … alive? … What? … How?"

“It’s a long story. One I don’t have time for right now. You have to trust me. Please, Wynonna.” Nicole pleaded. If she took too long, her dad would get suspicious and all would have been for nothing. 

Peacemaker lowered just a bit, not pointing directly into Nicole’s face. “You’re dead. Officially. The whole town is burying you right now. Mourning you. I mourn you. Hell, I came here to get pissed off drunk to forget I should mourn you.” She raised her gun again. “How do I know you’re not a shapeshifting demonthingy? Those exist right?”

“Probably,” Nicole nodded. “But I’m not. I’m Officer Nicole Haught, deputy of Purgatory. Madly in love with your sister.” She swallowed, “But that’s not all I am. I had forgotten until him … until Bulshar. I’m a demon -part demon- and you have every right to shoot me.” She held out her hands and took a step back when Peacemaker cocked again, glowing a menacing orange. “But I wanna help ... I helped Doc …”

“Doc knew?!” Wynonna shouted and then fell silent. She lowered the gun, “You where the sixth demon? The one he let escape.” She cocked an eyebrow, “He didn’t think I noticed, but I do pay attention … Once in a while.” She placed Peacemaker back in his holster and Nicole let out a breath in relief. “Go, Haught. But promise me one thing …” Nicole took a step to the door, waiting for Wynonna to continue. “Don’t break my sister’s heart again, or I will end you myself!” It was a threat and they both knew it.

“If I hurt her, I will let you,” Nicole promised. She gave Wynonna one last look before pulling her facemask up again and running out of the door.

Wynonna made her way into Nedley’s office and grabbed the bottle from his desk, taking a healthy swallow. Leave it for Purgatory for things to get even weirder. 

Nicole didn’t stop running until she was well out of town and into the woods. She leaned against a tree, breathing hard and looked down. She opened her hand and gazed at the big silver ring in her palm, the black gem sparkling in the moonlight.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next part and shit is starting to hit the fan. We are slowly getting towards the end. Maybe two or three more chapters?? Still not really sure.
> 
> Oh, and I know the plot isn't the best I've ever written. But I watch a lot of CW ... blame them for feeding me messy plot lines ;)

“You are sure of this?” Victor stared out of the window, his hands clasped behind his back, fists clenched as he tried to control his temper. 

“I’m afraid so, my lord.” The man had his head down, knowing that one wrong move could cost him his life. “She entered the police station, shortly followed by the heir.”

Victor closed his eyes. “Thank you, Bartholomew. Do you know where she is now?”

“Cutting wood, my lord. Her chores for this morning.” Bartholomew hesitated, scared that he would anger the other man. “If I may, my lord. I am truly sorry things didn’t work out with your daughter. But many of us feared something like this would happen. There is just too much human in her.” When he saw Victor nod, he bowed and removed himself from the room. He smiled, already relishing the bloodbath to come. 

Victor stayed in his room a while longer, dreading that what needs to be done. Finally, he walked out, anger shimmering beneath his skin. He went outside into the snow, following the sounds of the chopping. He soon found Nicole, at the edge of the woods, axe resting on her shoulder as she placed another piece of timber on the chopping block. 

Nicole saw her father approach and lowered the axe to the ground, keeping a hand on the handle. “Morning dad.” She saw the look in his eyes and frowned, “Something wrong?” 

“Where were you last night?” 

“In town. You were there with me.” Nicole tried to keep an even voice, even if her gut was telling her to run.

“Afterwards … You took a while to get back.

Nicole shrugged, “Yeah … I stayed on the rooftop. Just thinking. It was pretty rough to witness my own funeral. Shook me up.” 

Victor appeared to mull it over, “So … You weren’t anywhere near the station? Or near the heir?” He arched an eyebrow, staring into his daughter’s eyes and Nicole knew that the game was up.

“You were having me followed?” Nicole clenched her teeth and the fingers holding the axe.

“Unfortunately, it was needed.” Victor sounded regretful. “I wish I could turn back time and stop you from coming here. This place corrupted you. That is clear now.”

Nicole swallowed audibly, but then stood straight. “No … corrupted is turning a child into a monster. Into a murderer. Purgatory saved me. It showed me that there is another way. Like mom tried to show me before you had her killed!” 

Victor sneered, “I didn’t  _ have  _ your mother killed. I killed her myself!” The outburst shocked Nicole and she took a step back, her breathing becoming shallow. “It’s true. I slit her throat and spilled her blood on the pentagram in our basement. On the same spot you took your vows a few days later.”

Nicole closed her eyes, not wanting to see the monster before her anymore. Whatever remaining loyalty … love … she had left for the man that called him her father had disappeared. “I will end you,” she growled.

“You can try. But Nikky … you don’t stand a chance. I have embraced my inner demon and you keep fighting yours.” Victor sadly shook his head. He took a breath. “Where is it, Nikky? I know you have our lord’s ring. If you hand it over, I’ll make it quick. If not you’ll suffer and I’ll take the ring of your dead body. And then I’ll go find that human, that disease that infected you. But don’t worry, I won’t kill her. She’ll wish for dead, though, once I’m through with her.” 

Eyes turning red in anger, Nicole flexed her hand and it shifted into her claw. She stormed forward with a yell of fury, the axe forgotten on the ground. Victor chuckled as he jumped back, evading the claws aimed for his chest. “You missed,” he jested as Nicole stumbled to the ground. Then his voice turned guttural, “Now it’s my turn.” His eyes glowed scarlet and he held out his arms, the left growing bigger as it shifted, fingers turning into razor sharp claws the size of daggers. The entire left side of his body seemed to grow and shift, forming grotesk shapes in shining red stone. “You can not defeat me!” he roared.

Nicole crawled backwards, her wide eyes locked on the demon before her. She had never seen a fully morphed demonspawn before ... and she was terrified. Victor came closer, towering over her and Nicole acted on instinct, ducking and rolling away from the swoop of claws. She got back on her feet and tried to find an opening, a spot where she could attack. But her father was bigger, stronger and had a much wider reach. And he was patient.

The two circled each other and Nicole noticed that they started to draw attention from the other cult members, as many stopped their work to look at them. She needed a way out, now, or she would surely fall. Her eye fell on the axe she left on the ground and she came up with a plan, dangerous but her only choice. She feint an attack to Victor’s left side, heading straight for the claws, ducking at the very last second and rolling under the razors towards the axe. The moment her fingers met the handle, she grabbed it and swung the axe around, burying it to the hilt in Victor’s chest. 

Victor stumbled backwards and Nicole slumped, breathing hard. A searing pain hit her and she grabbed at her side, feeling the blood run down between her fingers. A bone-chilling laugh made her look up again and her stomach dropped when Victor reached for the axe, pulling it out of his chest with a mere grimace, like it was just an inconvenience. Nicole knew she’d lost then, her demon side retreating to leave the quivering human behind. 

So she did the only thing she could ... she fled. 

Victor moved forward in pursuit, but a hand on his chest stopped him. He looked to his side and saw Bulshar. “Leave her.” 

“But My Lord …”

“She’s injured. And we know where she’ll run. She will be scared and alone … Left to starve or freeze to death. Or she will run to her so-called friends ... who will shun her, possible kill her for what she is.” Bulshar kept his voice soft as he watched Victor shift back into human form. “And we now know where my ring is.” He raised his voice so all could hear him. “Nicole Haught has aligned herself with the enemy. She is to be hunted and killed on sight. Prepare yourselves, for when the sun rises again in the morrow it will do so on a new world.” All around him, demons cheered. Bulshar smiled, looking at them from underneath the rim of his hat. He turned back to Victor. “Move on the Earp homestead first. Nicole might have fled there. And if not, take the youngest Earp. She’ll come running directly to you then.”

Victor smiled.

 

* * *

 

Nicole ran as far as her battered body would allow it before she fell to her knees in the snow. The blood was still seeping through her fingers at an alarming rate, even for her. And she was getting lightheaded. She gave herself a few minutes to get her breath back before pushing herself to her feet once more. They would be coming after her, she was sure of that. She started running again, stumbling every few steps over her own feet. 

She was wondering where to go, not wanting to risk going to the homestead. Then it hit her. There was another set of keys in her pocket, one no one knew she had. One only shared between officers in the line of duty. Gritting her teeth, she changed her directions.

 

* * *

 

Jeremy wanted to get another go at matching the rings to their descriptions. He removed the box from Dolls’ safe and emptied the content on the table.

“Not again,” Wynonna wined from behind him, wincing at the noise the metal made on the surface. She had one hell of a hangover today and having rode in so early with her sister didn't help. But she promised Waverly she'd help her go over Nicole’s stuff. To see what mementos to keep and what to give to charity. Her mind was still reeling with the fact that she saw Nicole yesterday, that the redhead was very much alive and she hated the fact that she couldn't tell Waverly. Why was it that she always needed to keep something a secret from her sister?

Speaking of her sister, Waverly appeared from Nedley’s office, carrying the box with the stuff that came from Nicole’s desk. She had that sad look in her eyes again, the same one that came with the look that was almost permanently on her face these days. Lost. Wynonna felt her heart break all over again. She had to tell her. “You still sure you want to do this now, Baby girl?” Wynonna decided she needed to tell her, but maybe not here.

Waverly nodded. “I need to, Nonna. But thanks.” She smiled, a watery smile but it was a start.

“No no no!”

Jeremy’s call caused both Earps to look his way, frowning when seeing the man frantically running his hands through the rings. 

Dolls poked his head through the door, one eyebrow arched in a silent  _ What _ ?

“It's gone,” Jeremy simply said. 

Wynonna blew out a breath in annoyance, yet everyone knew she didn't really mean it. “What is, Jeremy? Use your words.”

“That ring, silver with that huge ass black rock.”

“Are you sure?” Dolls placed his X coffee mug on the table and leaned forward. 

Jeremy nodded, “100 percent … photographic memory and all.” He looked back down, “I should have known there was something off with that ring. I felt it call to me like a horcrux calls to Harry.”

As usual, the reference went right over Wynonna’s head. She cursed to herself, knowing very well where that ring went. “Damn it, Haughtstuff.” She caught Dolls’ eyes and saw that he came to the same conclusion. Not many people had the code to his safe.

Waverly just stared at her with wide eyes. She couldn't have heard that right. “Wynonna?” She looked between her sister and Dolls, recognising they were communicating in silence. “What are you two not telling me?”

“Or me,” Jeremy added, just as baffled as the brunette.

Wynonna spoke to Dolls, ignoring the other two. “She was here last night. I caught her in the safe. She asked me to trust her. I didn't see her take something. Figured she was just after weapons, or information.” It was true, she didn't even think they had something really important in there. Certainly not Bulshar’s ring … that would just be ridiculous.

Dolls sighed deeply as he finally focused on Waverly. “She didn't want us to tell you, or anyone for that matter.”

“Who, Dolls?” Waverly’s voice cracked, her mind putting two and two together. 

“Nicole, Baby girl. She's alive … And one of those demon thingies … with a proud membership card from Bulshar’s cult, apparently.” Wynonna wanted to pull her sister in her arms, but feared it might have a negative effect right now. 

“You knew Nicole was alive and didn't tell me?”

Wynonna would have taken a screaming Waverly, even a crying and hysterical one. Anything but the soft, monotone, disappointed tone her sister had now. “I only found out yesterday. I was just as surprised as you are.”

“I’ve known for a while.” Dolls added, knowing it was time to be honest. “As did Doc. Since the attack on Shorty’s" He dropped his eyes when Waverly looked at him in anger, unlike anything he thought her capable. “She saved him.”

“So she’s not … bad, right?” Waverly couldn't picture her brave, kind-hearted girlfriend to be anything else. 

“She stole Bulshar’s ring …” Dolls started.

“Why didn't she just tell us?” Jeremy added, not liking where the conversation was going. Nicole was kinda like his hero and he felt stumped to be left out, again. 

They all fell silent, everyone contemplating the revelations in their own way. Wynonna was worried about her sister, who stood with her arms wrapped tightly around herself, a furrow in her brow. She wanted to reach out, to take her baby sister in her arms and protect her from the world. Cause that’s what a big sister does. And she’d already been a terrible one in the past. She held out a hesitant hand, afraid to be rejected. Waverly looked at her, pain in her eyes, and Wynonna reacted by pulling her close anyway, relieved when Waverly allowed it. “I was going to tell you. I just didn’t want to do it here.” She felt Waverly nod against her shoulder.

After a few moments, Waverly pulled back with a sniff. “So now we all know Nicole is alive and has that damned ring. What are we going to do about it? How am I going to get my girlfriend back?” Waverly refused to believe anything else. 

“If she gave it to Bulshar, voluntary or not,” Dolls added the last part after a glare from Waverly. “He’ll make his move soon. We need to be ready for that.”

“What if she didn't? What if she keeps it hidden, or destroyed it?” Jeremy said. 

Wynonna shook her head. “I don’t believe that thing could be destroyed. That would make things  _ way  _ to easy.” She thought for a moment. “We need to find her. Only solution. Find her and ask her herself.” She looked at everyone in turn, finding agreeing faces. “Why don’t we go home and eat? Family meeting at the homestead in a couple of hours? I’ll call Doc.” Waverly did seem worn after the rollercoaster of emotions. “We’ll figure it out.”

Dolls nodded. “Good idea. I’m going to stop by the motel, grab some more guns from my safe there. We might need them.” He grabbed his jacket and left the room. 

Wynonna and Waverly said goodbye to Jeremy and went home, leaving the young man standing by his desk still a little stunned.

 

* * *

 

Dolls stepped out of his car at the motel, his head still reeling with the past events. When he got to his door, he frowned and halted. There were markings in the snow by his door. It had snowed earlier, so any markings from house cleaning should have been covered up. The door was closed and he stooped, checking the lock. It seemed to be intact and he held up his fingers to the handle. They came back dark and wet … blood. He stood up and nudged the door open, making no sound. Easing his way inside, gun first, he took a quick glance around to make sure there was no trap waiting for him. Nothing seemed out of place. He took another step inside and frowned at the bloody handprint on the carpet. There was another one on the door to the bathroom, which stood ajar, something he would never do. He leaned his back against the wall, took a deep breath and barged in. The sight that greeted him would haunt his dreams for many nights to come.

There was Nicole, on the floor against the bathtub, laying in a pool of blood. Her head was leaning back against the edge of the tub and looked almost as pale as the cheap, white tiles.

“Damnit Haught,” Dolls rushed forward, slipping his gun back into it’s holster. He kneeled down, checking for a pulse and breathed when he found one. Weak, but there. “Haught … Nicole!” he called out, tapping the woman on the cheek.

Nicole inhaled sharply and opened her eyes, blinking as it took her brain awhile to figure out what was happening. “Dolls?” she croaked out from between dry lips. 

Dolls pushed away Nicole’s hand from her stomach and lifted her shirt, growing a shade paler when he saw the damage. “This looks bad, Nicole. You need to get to a hospital.” He saw Nicole pull back, growing agitated.”Wait, wait. Hold still.” He sighed and reached behind him into the cupboard underneath the sink for his first aid kit. It would only be a quick, patch-up job but it had to do for now. He pulled out some alcohol and bandages and started to work.

Clenching her teeth to hold in the grunts of pain, Nicole watched Dolls work in silence. Finally she couldn’t take it anymore. “He killed her, Dolls.” She slurred her words, delirious from pain and blood loss. “He killed my mother.”

“Bulshar?”

Nicole shook her head, wincing when it made her head spin even more. “My dad. He lied to me.” She let her head drop back against the tub. “I let him turn me into a monster. And for what? Bulshar’s version of a perfect world.” She huffed, or tried to anyway. “She didn’t agree with him and he killed her …. Like he tried with me.” 

Dolls’ eyes widened only slightly. After all, it didn't really surprise him. “Your dad did this.” It wasn't a question. He taped the last bandages in place, frowning when he saw the blood seep back through them. It had slowed somewhat, but clearly not enough. “Why did you take Bulshar’s ring?” He asked.

“They would’ve attacked the office sooner or later. They would’ve killed everyone inside.” Nicole closed her eyes, letting her head drop back. “We can’t beat them, Dolls. They’re too strong.” She buried an axe in her father’s chest and he barely blinked. What good would bullets do? “There’s no way … The ring …” Her eyes opened again and she tried to sit up. “They know I have it … The homestead … I have to go there. Bulshar has called for an attack. Waverly ...”

With a soft nudge, Dolls pushed Nicole back down. “You're barely conscious. I’ll go. I’ll keep them safe.” Nicole was still struggling weakly. “He wants his ring. And by extension, you. So you keep your ass here, hidden. Keep that ring safe. I’ll watch the Earps.” He stood and moved to the door, looking back at the pale redhead. “Waverly knows” he said softly, watching the pain run through Nicole’s eyes. And it wasn’t just physical pain anymore.

“Will you tell her that I love her?” 

Dolls shook his head. “No. You can tell her that yourself. She deserves at least that.” He waited until Nicole nodded once in understanding and then left the room. He had no time to waste.

Nicole took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Waverly … she missed Waverly. It hurt more than her torn skin. She reached into her front pocket and took the ring, holding it between shaking fingers. What was it about this trinket that made it so valuable? What power did it held? And … could they somehow use it against Bulshar himself? That last idea just hit her, as she watched her own reflection in the black gem. It sang to her, just like it did in the safe. 

Suddenly, she knew what needed to be done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Please feed the author ;)


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone. I've added a final chapter number to this story, so yes, after this one we go straight to the epilogue. So hold on to your seats, we're almost there! Also, I promise I'll reply to everyone who commented on this story. I'm truly low on time these days and I think you'll rather have me writing this story than replying to comments, right? 
> 
> Anyway, if anyone is interested, I take a lot of my inspiration from video games. The demons I speak from in this story (Nicole, her dad et all) are based (a bit) on the Red Templars from Dragon Age Inquisition mixed with Velvet Crowe from Tales of Berseria. You can Google it if you don't know what I'm talking about lol
> 
> As always, thanks for reading and please feed the author ;)

Dolls brought his car to a stop with screeching tires, relieved to find the homestead still demon free. He got out and ran to the door with Doc at his heels. Dolls had stopped by Shorty’s, yelled out “The homestead, now!” and Doc simply tossed the keys to the bar at some patron and followed him, no further questions asked. 

The front door opened and Wynonna’s frowning face appeared. “What the hell, Dolls?” 

Dolls ran inside, his gun at the ready, and blew out a breath when seeing Waverly on the couch. Safe. He put his gun away. “Sorry about that.”

Waverly gave him a confused look. “What’s going on? Is- is that blood on your shirt?” 

Looking down at himself, Dolls saw the dark splatters spread over his yellow shirt. He must have gotten them when he was bandaging Nicole. Wynonna walked over to him and grabbed him by the arm, turning him around to face her. “It’s not mine,” he was quick to reassure them. “Look, I think Bulshar is going to attack the homestead.”

“One, why would he do that now? And two, if it’s not yours then who’s blood is that?” Wynonna asked.

“They want Waverly. To get to Nicole.” 

Waverly sat up straight, tossing the blanket from her lap. “Nicole? Do you know where she is? Is she safe?” Wynonna moved closer to her sister, ready to protect her as always.

Dolls grimaced, but decided on the truth for once. “She has Bulshar’s ring. Took it to protect us. But they found out and …. she got hurt. She’s at the motel.” Got hurt was a bit of an understatement, but almost got ripped to pieces would scare the others even more. He wasn’t even sure she was still alive with the rate she was losing blood.

“We have to go there!” Waverly was already putting on her shoes. 

“We might have a problem with that,” Doc said, peering through the window. Dolls frowned and joined him.

“They’re here,” Dolls simply said as he watched the figures appear in the distance. There were many of them and they seemed to be surrounding the property, closing in fast. 

“Demon balls,” Wynonna cursed. “Most of our guns are in the barn.”

Dolls looked between the two Earps. “You two go get them. The barn is easier to defend if it comes to it. Doc and I will try and keep a clear path to the car.” 

Wynonna nodded grimly and reached for Waverly’s arm, keeping them close. They slipped out of the back door and ran to the barn. Waverly immediately went to the corner, removed a tarp from a crate and opened it. She took out several guns and rifles until she found her favorite one. She did a couple of quick checks, grabbed some more bullets and stood. “I’ll go to the roof.” Wynonna nodded and watched her sister scramble onto a ladder, disappearing onto the ledge. She moved to the door, Peacemaker at the ready and waited. 

The first demons came into range only minutes later and soon, all hell broke loose. 

 

* * *

 

“There’s too many off them!” Wynonna screamed, taking another shot and taking out another demonspawn. Dolls dropped down next to her, back against the wall of the barn. He was breathing heavy, emptying clip after clip.

“Yeah … and bullets don’t really impress them that much. We need to get out of here. Regroup.” Only four of the demons he hit had stayed down so far and they were starting to get more cautious.

A shot came from above them, taking a demon down with a clean headshot, and Wynonna cheered when Waverly poked her head down from the rooftop, the Dragunov sniper rifle in her hands. “Great aim, baby girl!”.

Waverly lowered herself over the edge with the help of Dolls. “Thanks, been working on it.” She took a breath to calm her raging heart. “Bulshar and that other guy are still just hanging back. But I have a feeling we’re pretty much doomed when they decide to join in. So I suggest we go.” 

Dolls nodded. “Doc is keeping a clear path to the car. Stay close to me.” Wynonna grabbed Waverly’s hand and fired one last shot out of Peacemaker, keeping the demons at bay and followed Dolls.

From the hilltop, Bulshar nodded at Victor. This charade was over. He placed a hand on Victor’s shoulder and the two disappeared. 

Doc slammed the fire axe into a demon’s back and kicked the body to the ground. He was breathing heavy from exertion, but saw the rest making their way towards him and the car. He heard movement behind him and turned around, axe at the ready. His eyes widened when Bulshar and Victor appeared. Bulshar held out his hand and Doc was thrown back by an invisible force. He grunted when his back slammed into the ground, right in front of Wynonna, Waverly and Dolls.

“Mister Holliday. So lovely you could join us.” Bulshar said with a sneer as he watched Doc being helped to his feet by Dolls. They all had him at gunpoint, but that didn’t bother him. It wasn’t like bullets could harm him.

Waverly help up her rifle, going from one demon to the other. She frowned when getting a first good look at Victor. “I know you,” she said, taking in the tall posture and the ginger hair. She saw him in a picture once. The only picture Nicole had in her house, which seemed odd at first, as Waverly had heaps of them at the homestead. Her girlfriend was just a baby in her mother’s arms and this man was smiling behind them. “You’re Nicole’s father.”  

“Pfff … that explains a lot,” Wynonna added sarcastically.

Victor smiled, ignoring the remark and kept his eyes on Waverly. “Yes, I am.” The smile turned into a sneer. “And you are the human that corrupted my daughter.” He took a look around. “I take it she’s not here? No matter. I’ll just take you. She’ll come find me herself then.”

Wynonna stepped in front of her sister, Peacemaker glowing in ominous orange. “You will not touch her!”  

“What makes you think I need your permission.” From next to Victor, Bulshar swiped his hand and Wynonna was thrown sideways, slamming into the barn. 

Bulshar chuckled, “Mortals.”

“Wynonna!!” Waverly screamed, watching her sister get thrown around like a ragdoll. 

Dolls stepped forward, dropping his gun to the ground. It wasn’t of any use anymore. He growled, blowing steam out of his mouth. Time to let out his own demon side. It would probably mean his end, but if it would give his friends time to get away, it would be worth it. “Go, run!”

Doc grabbed Waverly by the arm and pulled her away towards Wynonna, who was crawling back to her feet. 

“Enough!!”

Everyone froze and looked the other way at the strong command. 

There, in the middle of the snowy field, stood Nicole, the light of the setting sun at her back making her look like an angel, even though they all knew she was anything but.  

Waverly gasped, “Nicole?!” Only the grip of Wynonna on her arm stopped her from running towards her. 

Nicole stepped closer, still limping and trembling from her previous injuries. She didn’t dare look at Waverly, knowing it would be her undoing. She needed to be strong. Just a little bit longer. 

Victor smiled and moved in her direction, ignoring Dolls who moved aside to his friends. This was not his battle anymore.    

“Did you finally come to your senses, Nikky?” He came to a stop about ten feet from his daughter. 

Nicole reached into her pocket and took the ring, holding it between her fingers, looking like she was about to hand it over. 

“Haught! Don’t do it!” Wynonna screamed, knowing it was all over if he got hold of that damned ring. 

Nicole glanced her way, her eyes meeting Waverly’s briefly. She could see the hurt and the fear in them and her heart ached. She caused this. But it also meant she needed to fix it. She looked at her father. “I just realised something, dad,” she said. “I stayed with the cult, with you, not out of love, but out of fear. And … admittedly … you are still very scary.” Victor gave her a half grin. “But you made one mistake …” Nicole took a breath and glanced back at Waverly. “I love her more than I fear you.”

Victor’s eyes narrowed. “It doesn’t matter. You couldn’t beat me before, you certainly can’t now. I mean, look at you, you’re barely standing.” He held out his hand. “Just give it up.”

Nicole closed her eyes for a second as she closed her fist around the ring. She could feel the hum again, the power calling her. She took a deep breath … and shoved the ring on her own finger. 

Bulshar stepped forward. “No!” He teleported himself in front of Nicole and reached out to grab her arm, ready to pull the ring off. An unseen force pushed him back several feet. “Kill her!” he yelled.

Wynonna followed the events with wide eyes, still holding onto her sister to keep her from running into danger. She watched as Victor morphed into a grotesk monster, one that would haunt her in her dreams. The rest of the cult members gathered round, obeying their master. Bulshar seemed worried, which was good, she supposed. And Nicole ... Nicole just stood still, eyes closed. 

“What in the name of all that is good is happening there?” Doc questioned. 

“We have to help her … Why isn’t she doing anything?” Waverly was frantic with worry and Wynonna was at loss. Running in there, between fighting demons. It would be suicide. 

Dolls was the first one who noticed the way Nicole shifted her weight, no longer stressing one part of her body in pain. She was breathing easier too. “Just watch.” He said.

 

* * *

 

Nicole felt like her skin was on fire, though it didn’t hurt.  _ Strange _ , she thought. She was expecting pain. But in fact, she felt great. The wounds on her stomach knitted, she could feel the skin stretch and pull. Her fatigue was fading, like she just woke up from a restful sleep. But there was something else, a feeling of being divided. She opened her eyes, yet knowing it wasn’t real, it was all in her head. She saw herself standing there, tall and proud. How she would have stood all those months ago, before the fall, before Bulshar. The vision of herself oozed confidence and strength, gazing at her with blood red eyes. “Are you my demon?” 

Demon-Nicole shook its head, “I am you, as you are me. It is time you accept that and stop fighting. It is holding  _ us  _ back.”

“Can I -we- defeat father?”

A cocky smile was her answer. “ _ We _ are capable of many things, Nicole Haught. After all, old Victor never had a heart-to-heart with his inner demon before.” She took a deep breath, her lips pursed together in thought. “But defeating your father is the easy part. Taking care of Bulshar is something else. You cannot defeat him, no one can.” 

Nicole shook her head. “No, there has to be a way. I have to protect them, protect Waverly!” If she had one purpose in life, it was to do just that.

“Yes, Waverly.” The demon looked dreamy and Nicole had the strangest feeling of looking into a mirror whenever she thought of the youngest Earp. “Waverly is good for you, for us.” Even with having been dormant for so long, the demon felt Nicole’s affection, her love, like it was its own. “Perhaps it can be done. Locking Bulshar somewhere safe for the rest of eternity. But it will come at a great price.”

Nicole swallowed audibly. “Anything!” she promised and her demon nodded, giving her a sad smile.

“Then you know what to do. Just open your eyes, Nicole.” 

Giving the demon one last look, Nicole closed her eyes in the dreamlike state and opened them in reality.

The first thing she saw was her father, in fully morphed out form, glaring at her. She held out her left hand, Bulshar’s ring shining bright in the darkness, and felt it shift into claws, more smooth and powerful than ever before. This was the first time she accepted this part of herself and she felt the demon inside her rejoice. The ring disappeared beneath a layer of crimson crystal. 

Victor’s eyes widened slightly in alarm and rushed forward in attack, not wanting to wait until Nicole was ready. He slashed out towards Nicole’s head, forcing her to duck and roll to safety. She got back to her feet in one move and went in for the counter. They went back and forth for a while, slashing and ducking, blocking and rolling, until both where breathing hard.

“We could keep doing this all night, Nikky. What’s your big plan?”

Nicole grinned and she shook her head, letting a couple of drops of sweat fall to the ground. “I’m going to kill you, father. I’m going to kill us all. Rid the world of our kind.”

The frown on Victor’s face let Nicole know he was putting two and two together. “You would sacrifice yourself for them? For her?” He sounded confused. It was a foreign concept to him.

Nicole glanced back, right into Waverly’s wide eyes. “Always,” she said with conviction. She turned back and lifted her claw. It started to pulse with red energy. With a yell, she slammed her claw down, sinking it deep into the ground. Both Bulshar and Victor screaming at her to stop. 

The ground started to shake and cracks appeared from where Nicole’s arm had sunk into the ground up till her elbow, the rumbling bringing her to her knees. She grit her teeth, grimacing in pain at the feeling like her arm was about to be torn off. The cracks opened up to crevices, several harsh streaks of light shooting out of them. The streaks went to the demons, turning into claws when they reached one. The demons looked in fear as the claws grabbed them and they screamed as they were being pulled into the crevices one by one. 

Victor tried to fight, evading and slashing, but the claws didn’t let up and eventually, one got a hold of his leg, tripping the demon to the ground. He was still kicking and screaming when he disappeared over the ledge. 

Nicole watched with grim satisfaction. The sound of clapping made her look around. 

“Well played,” Bulshar tipped his hat. The claws were turning and twisting around him, making it seem like he was being protected by an invisible force. “Perhaps I’ll be seeing you in hell one day, Miss Haught. But it will not be today.” With a last sneer, Bulshar vanished. And Nicole closed her eyes in failure. She felt the last of the light claws close around her chest and waited for the inevitable. 

As the scene was unfolding, Waverly looked on in shock. She had recognised that look, the one Nicole gave her right before she opened the gates to hell. “Oh no, you don’t,” she said and pulled her arm free from an equally shocked Wynonna. She ran towards Nicole as fast as she could, ignoring the demons being grabbed all around her.

“Waverly!!” Wynonna screamed, trying to go after her sister. One of the light claws slamming into the ground in front of her made her stop and Dolls pulled her back. She followed waverly with her eyes, scared for her sister. 

Waverly ducked around and between screaming demons, reaching Nicole just as the claw wrapped around the redhead’s chest. She threw herself at Nicole, wrapping her arms around her shoulder and buried her face into her girlfriend's neck. She was ready to go down to hell with her if that was what it took. 

Nicole gasped at the impact. “Waves?” She felt the claw release her before slamming deep into her chest. Nicole inhaled sharply at the pain, as she didn’t have enough breath left to scream. She felt like something was being ripped apart and pulled from inside her. Then, as sudden as it came, the claw retreated and the pain eased. Her arm, now human once more, slipped out of the ground and Nicole fell back, bonelessly, into Waverly’s arms. The crevices closed.

Wynonna blinked. Not a trace was left of what had just transpired on her own front lawn. There was only Waverly, holding a shaking Nicole into her lap. She ran towards them, hearing Dolls and Doc at her heels. She dropped to her knees, her hands on Nicole’s thigh. She met Waverly’s eyes, who was smiling through her tears, her arms wrapped around Nicole who was still gasping for breath. “Way to go, Haughtstuff.” 

Nicole grinned lopsided before turning it into a look of confusion. “I don’t understand … Why am I still here?” She felt Waverly tighten her grip, one hand wrapped into the front of her shirt. Nicole blew out a breath and shook her head. Then it hit her. She held up her left hand and tried to shift it into her claws. It didn’t work. “She’s gone,” she gasped.

“Who is?” Waverly asked.

“My demon … She … She must have sacrificed herself for me,” Nicole tried to control her breathing, her emotions. She had fought it for so long but now that she was gone … She felt like a part of her went missing. Like an old friend had just died. She closed her eyes, trying to fight the tears from welling up and felt Waverly kiss her on the side of her head. A sob escaped her from deep inside her chest.

“It’s ok. I’ve got you,” Waverly whispered into her ear and kissed her on the temple again. That was when she broke. She turned her head into Waverly and let it out, all the stress and the fear from the past months, sobbing and crying into Waverly’s shoulder. Waverly held on, cooing and comforting her while letting her own tears fall.

Wynonna wiped at her own eyes before getting to her feet. She leaned down and placed a kiss on Waverly’s temple, doing the same to Nicole. Then, she walked to Doc and Dolls, who stayed back a bit to give them some space. She placed a hand on each of their shoulders, turning them back towards the house.

“Will they be ok?” Doc asked.

Wynonna smiled brightly. “I think they’ll be just fine.”


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally ... The conclusion of what was once meant as a one-shot. I tried to keep it a bit lighter and it gets a bit heated in a few places. 
> 
> I know the plot of the overall story isn't the greatest, but I still hope you enjoyed it. Thanks for sticking with me! 
> 
> Cheers and remember to feed the author :)

It was rare for Wynonna to be up at the crack of dawn. To be fair, she didn’t really go to sleep at all. Just tossed and turned for a few hours before making her way back downstairs. As she went outside to the porch, she found out she wasn’t the only one already up. “Sheesh, Haught!” she called out in surprise when the redhead cleared her throat. 

Nicole was sitting on the floor next to the door, back against the wall, nursing a cup of coffee. She had heard Wynonna stumble through the house, out of the door and past her spot. She chuckled when it was clear she’d spooked the heir and held out the thermos of coffee in apology. 

Wynonna grumbled good-naturally as she took the hot drink, pouring some into the cup lid. She sat down next to Nicole and took a sip. “What’s that smell?” she asked, wrinkling her nose.

“Dawn,” Nicole quipped in jest, turning her eyes back to the horizon, where the sun was just starting to rise. 

Wynonna snorted and nudged Nicole with her shoulder. She had missed their verbal sparring. 

They were silent for a while, enjoying the peace and quiet moment. 

“Couldn’t sleep?” Wynonna asked.

Nicole let out a deep breath. She had succumbed to sleep last night, tucked safely into Waverly’s arms, the exhaustion just too great. But she woke up a few hours later feeling anxious and suffocated, needing to run, to flee. Waverly, subconsciously feeling her distress, had nuzzled closer into her and Nicole felt her anxiety fade, even if sleep was eluding her further. She slipped out of bed, making sure Waverly was properly tucked in, and made her way downstairs. After making herself something to drink, she decided to get some air on the porch and watch the sunrise. 

Wynonna nodded to herself, understanding Nicole’s silence. She busied herself with her drink.

“I’m scared,” Nicole finally whispered. She glanced at her side at Wynonna. “I’m scared of what I am. Of what I’m not anymore. Of what I should do … I’m dead. You guys had a funeral and everything. It was very nice, by the way.” 

“You saw that?” Wynonna scrunched her face. “Weird …” 

Nicole nodded, a small smile playing around her lips. Wynonna was really good at lifting people’s moods. Then her face fell again, “I don’t know what to do. Do I have to leave?” She had started to love the quirky little town and all the people in it. 

“Please … This is Purgatory … Someone coming back from the dead really isn’t all that special.” Wynonna grinned and Nicole couldn’t help but join her. 

“Bulshar’s still alive,” Nicole added. “And he’ll be back.”

Wynonna padded Nicole on the shoulder. “Yup, he will. But you took out his entire cult. He has no one left. We’ll hunt him down and put him back in the ground where he belongs.” She squeezed Nicole’s shoulder. “Together.” 

Nicole smiled, lifting her mug to toast with Wynonna’s plastic cup. “Together.” 

 

* * *

 

By the time Nicole and Wynonna had whipped up some breakfast, the sun was high up in the sky. Nicole made her way back upstairs and into Waverly’s bedroom. She paused in the doorway, giving herself a moment to take in the still sleeping form buried beneath the blankets. Waverly looked tired, the last few months having taken its toll, so Nicole was happy to let her sleep a bit longer. She pulled off her sweater and track pants and carefully slipped between the sheets, smiling when Waverly mumbled something cute and wrapped herself around Nicole again. Waverly let out a deep sigh, a clear sign she was waking up. Nicole trailed her fingers through brown hair and placed a kiss on Waverly’s crown. “Morning,” she mumbled. 

Waverly turned her head, blinking the sleep out of her eyes, a lazy smile spreading on her face. “Good morning … God, I’m so glad yesterday wasn’t a dream.” Nicole lifted a hand, cradling her jaw and Waverly leaned into it, eyes closing.

Nicole sat up, bringing their faces close together. “I missed you, so  _ so  _ much. And I am so sorry. But I had to stay away. I had to keep you safe.” She leaned her forehead against Waverly’s. “You need to know that I have never lied to you, Waves. Please believe that. What I am -was- … it was lost to me. I ...”

Waverly brought her hands up to Nicole’s hair, burying them into red tresses, effectively shutting Nicole up. “Maybe you talk too much.”

Nicole swallowed audibly. “Then maybe you should shut me up.” 

With a slight pull on Nicole’s hair, Waverly crashed their lips together. She inhaled sharply when she felt Nicole’s hands go around her waist, guiding her into the redhead’s lap. She rolled her hips down into Nicole’s stomach and used the expected gasp to push her tongue into Nicole’s mouth. She moaned when Nicole’s tongue danced with her own, revelling at the familiar feeling and taste. When the need to breath arose, she broke the kiss and lowered her mouth to Nicole’s jaw, peppering it with soft and slow kisses. 

“Oh god, Waves,” Nicole groaned, tipping her head back to give Waverly better access. She moaned and shivered when Waverly found that particular spot, just above her collarbone, and lashed her teeth to it, not caring if it would leave marks. She slid her hands up, underneath Waverly’s sleep shirt and tugged it off. 

Once freed from the garment, Waverly found Nicole’s lips again in a passionate kiss. Her hands found Nicole’s and she guided them to her chest, gasping when calloused but tender fingers worshipped her breasts. She sat back, throwing her hair across her shoulder and gazed up at Nicole through hooded eyes. She bit her lip at the desire reflected back at her. “Nicole?” she gasped, “please.” 

“Please what, baby?” Nicole’s question was barely audible.

Waverly sucked in a breath. “Please … fuck me.” She needed Nicole. Needed her more than she needed air. And she needed her right now!

Nicole’s eyes widened and darkened, not used to Waverly using such coarse language. It turned her on immensely. This wasn't the time for slow and sweet, they could always do that later. She reached behind Waverly and surged forward, gently guiding the other woman on her back. “Your wish is my command,” she said with a grin before covering Waverly’s lips with her own. 

 

* * *

 

Wynonna sat at the kitchen table, munching on the last of her toast. She wondered what was keeping the other two. Wasn’t Nicole just going to wake Waverly to get breakfast? She downed the last dregs of her coffee when the moaning started and nearly spit it back out. 

“Great,” she murmured, looking up at the ceiling. She got up, went to the stove, covered the eggs still in the frying pan and turned off the toaster. A particular loud moan made her arch her eyebrows. “Go Haught,” she murmured, having recognised her sister’s voice. Then she shivered, hearing more from her sister than anyone ever should. 

She slapped her hands together. “Well … No time like the present for some shooting practice!” she told herself out loud and ran out of the house.

 

* * *

 

When Doc got out of his car at the homestead, he immediately heard the gunshots and the clang of metal. Knowing this meant Wynonna was shooting something in the barn, he headed that way. “What brings you out here so early in the morning?” he drawled.

Wynonna took another shot, grinning when the metal can went flying. She turned to Doc and pointed her thumb at the house. “Waves and Haught are … reconnecting.” She waggled with her eyebrows, bursting out in laughter when Doc blushed. “Didn’t you own a brothel once?” 

Doc removed his hat. “It was a gentleman’s club,” he said, not very convincingly. He cleared his throat. “Everything is well then? With Miss Haught?” 

“Not completely. But it will be.” Wynonna put Peacemaker back in her holster. “Let’s see if our two lovebirds have decided to join us again.” 

“I do not want to intrude …” Doc started.

“They’ve been at it for over an hour!” Wynonna started back towards the house, Doc following her with shuffling feet.

When Wynonna reached the back door, she called out, “Coming through!” She stuck her head through the door and let out a breath when seeing the two sitting at the table, a sheepish expression on their faces as they finished their breakfast. Wynonna grinned at them and went to the stove, grabbing two mugs to pour herself and Doc some coffee.

Doc entered, fumbling with his hat. “I am very glad to see you are feeling better, Miss Haught.” 

Nicole smiled at him, “Thank you, Henry.” 

Suddenly, Wynonna grabbed Nicole’s collar and pulled it down a bit, whistling. “Damn Haught, you look like you’re been mauled by a bear!” She glanced at her sister, who suddenly found a very interesting spot on the table.

“Wynonna,” Waverly mumbled, blushing bright red.

Nicole coughed, wanting to turn the attention away from them. “So Doc. What brings you by?” When Doc started speaking, she saw Waverly’s shoulders lose their tension and her eyes lifted from the tabletop. Nicole gave her a wink and got a bright smile in return. 

And a “Barf,” from Wynonna.

Doc just ignored her. “I wanted to let you know that Dolls, Jeremy and myself have scouted the address you provided. There was no sign of Bulshar or any surviving cultists.”

Nicole nodded, having expected that Bulshar would have moved on by now. “It doesn't matter. He’ll show up again sooner or later.”

“Jeremy has taken many samples … That boy sure has strange hobbies.” Doc’s tone clearly indicated his affection. “Perhaps you should pay him a visit later?” He put his hat back on with flair. “Now, if you’ll excuse me ladies, I have a bar to open.” Giving them all a toothy smile, he walked out of the house.

“I should pass by the office. See Jeremy and Dolls … And Nedley.” Nicole knew that last one was going to be the hardest. 

Waverly reached across the table, taking Nicole’s hand in her own. “I'm with you, always.”

“Ugh … get a room you two.” Wynonna teased. “Or rather a house, with thick walls … and no neighbours.” She went to the door and slipped into her coat. “Well? Come on then. I don't have all day!” She wiggled the keys to her truck and threw open the front door, sauntering outside.

Nicole ducked her head with a smile, knowing this was Wynonna’s way of telling she, too, had her back. 

 

* * *

 

“Nicole!” Jeremy called out when he spotted the red mop of hair. He got up from his chair, rounded his desk and jumped at the surprised redhead, who had to take a step back from the impact. 

Wrapping her arms around the shorter man, Nicole hugged him tight, feeling herself become a bit emotional by the welcome. “H-hey Jeremy.” It felt inadequate, but she couldn't find the words to describe how she truly felt.

Jeremy understood and he pulled back after giving Nicole a squeeze. He looked back at his desk, discretely wiping at his eyes while everyone else pretended they didn't notice. “Oh, I got something for you.” He took a large brown envelope and handed it over. The enthusiasm was obvious as he was practically bouncing from one foot to the other.

Taking the envelope, Nicole peeled it open, brows arched in confusion. “What is this?” She pulled out some forms and scanned through them. “These are hospital records?”

Jeremy nodded with a big grin. “Yes, they are. Yours. I mean not really yours, but no one could ever tell the difference.” He took a breath, “You were found on the banks of the Calgary river. Alive, barely … You spend the last three months in a coma in Rockyview General Hospital. You had no ID on you, so you were listed as Jane Doe. Until you woke up ... and here you are … Huzzah!” 

Nicole was speechless, her eyes going from the papers in her hands to Jeremy and back. “You … you did this? … For me?” 

“Ah … It wasn’t that hard, really. Hospital records aren’t very hard to fake.” Jeremy shrugged, rubbing at the back of his neck. 

Surging forward, Nicole pulled Jeremy against her. “Thank you,” she managed to choke out. What Jeremy had done made it possible to reclaim the life she had here in Purgatory. It would nullify her death certificate. Perhaps able her to get her job back. 

Jeremy patted Nicole’s back, feeling a bit uncomfortable by all the attention. He stepped back when Nicole loosened her grip. “It’s ok. I mean, you throw yourself from a cliff to save your friends … The least I can do is hack some government files.”  

Nicole grabbed his shoulder, trying to get herself back under control. “Still, thanks.” 

“Hey Haught,” Dolls intervened, holding out his arms for a hug. Nicole went in it willingly. Behind her, Waverly took her turn hugging and thanking Jeremy. 

“Thank you for patching me up.”

Dolls gave her a bright smile. “You’re welcome. Just … don’t do it again any time soon, ok?” 

“Not planning to,” Nicole said as her eyes slipped past his shoulders to the sheriff's office. “Uhm … I have to go talk to someone else first.” She turned, glancing at Waverly who gave her an encouraging smile. As she walked by, Waverly held out her hand and Nicole reached for it, glad for the contact. “I’ll be ok,” she whispered to the brunette and went to see Nedley.

 

* * *

 

Nicole leaned into the doorway, studying her (former?) boss as he was thumbing through a stack of files. She rapped her knuckles against the doorway, trying to hide just how nervous she was feeling.

Nedley looked up, the years of practice helping him to hide his shock, even if he was expecting her. Dolls had briefed him earlier, just saying, “heads up, Nicole's back,” and leaving again. It was Jeremy who snuck him the fake hospital records and offered some explanation. 

“You look pretty good for a woman who spend the last three months in a coma.” 

Nicole ducked her head, a small smile playing around her lips. She can’t deny that she missed the older man’s presence in her life, with all the gruffness and sarcasm that came with it. “You know that’s not the whole story.”

Holding up a hand, Nedley stood and walked over to Nicole. “I don’t need to know. Tell me one thing, are you safe now?” Nicole nodded. “Then that’s all I need.” His voice cracked uncharacteristically as he looked at his protege, the woman he came to see as a second daughter. Nicole hesitated for a moment, before stepped forward and taking him in a hug, which he reciprocated, albeit awkwardly.

“Thank you, sir.” Nicole sniffed a couple of times to get herself together and stepped back. 

Nedley reached behind him on his desk and handed Nicole a black book, her badge. 

Nicole's hands where shaking as she took it. “Sir?”

“I expect you back at work bright and early tomorrow, deputy Haught.” Nedley gave Nicole one of his rare smiles, mostly hidden beneath his bushy moustache. “Your uniforms are still in your locker. Not like I got some fresh cadet to take it. Hopefully, now that you’re not dead, they’ll be sending in some new officers. We could use them.”

With a smile on her face, Nicole clipped her badge on her belt. “I’ll be there, sir.” With a last nod, Nicole turned to leave. 

“And Haught?” 

Nedley’s words caused her to stop and turn back towards him. “Sir?”

“I’m really glad you’re not dead.” Nedley’s voice shook with emotion. There was so much more he wanted to say, but couldn’t find the right words.

Nicole could read it in his eyes. “Me too, sir,” she said simply, before casting her eyes down with a soft smile, her cheeks turning red.

 

* * *

 

A week later found Nicole driving home from her shift, reflecting on the past days while maneuvering her patrol car around the many potholes in the homestead driveway. They really needed to get those fixed.

It was almost frightening how ‘normal’ everything turned out to be. Well, normal for Purgatory anyway. Everywhere she went, people welcomed her back. Telling her how happy they were that she was healthy and back with them. And how lucky she was to have survived that fall without any serious injuries. A couple of people remained a bit sceptic, but overall, everyone seemed to buy the story. Wynonna was right, this is Purgatory after all. Residents were used to ignore anything out of the ordinary.

Nicole parked her car and made her way inside, smiling down at Calamity Jane when she came to greet her, purring and rubbing herself all over Nicole’s legs. CJ had settled well into the homestead life, now running around the barns and fields chasing mice. Though she still spend most of her time indoors, lounging on the couch or on her and Waverly’s bed. Nicole stooped, rubbing her fingers through red fur. 

“Hi sweety.” 

Nicole looked up to see Waverly standing on the stairs and smiled, making her way over. “Hi Baby.” She leaned across the banister, having to tilt her head up for a kiss for once, as Waverly was standing a couple of steps higher. 

“How was work?” Waverly asked when they broke apart, taking Nicole’s hand to lead her upstairs. Nicole always changed out of her uniform when she got home. 

“Quiet, mostly. Picked up McDonalds again from Shorty’s after a call from Doc. He’s sleeping it off in the holding cell. Poor guy really needs to get his shit together or his wife will throw him out one of these days.” Nicole removed her tie with one hand, the other already loosening the buttons of her shirt. She stepped into their bedroom, Waverly taking a seat on the bed and looked around. “Wow,” she said, seeing how many of her boxes were already unpacked. Nicole had officially moved into the homestead. It was an easy decision since most of Nicole's stuff had already been packed away.

“You’ve been busy, Nicole said.

Waverly smiled. “Yeah … Wynonna helped ... For a bit … until she got bored and started rummaging through the box with your underwear even if I explicitly told her not to.” Waverly coughed. “Then she found something, turned red and ran out, stammering something about kinky lesbians and needing a drink.” 

Nicole started laughing, knowing that box was where she kept their toys. Waverly turned red and she laughed harder.

“It’s her own damn fault for not listening,” Waverly mumbled, grinning now as Nicole’s laugh was infectious. “Oh, I found something else.” She jumped from the bed and took a picture from her nightstand. “Though I’m not sure you’ll like it.” She said the last part in worry, biting her lower lip. She spent the last hour or so wondering if she should just throw it away. 

Nicole took the picture between her fingers and blew out a breath. It was her family picture, the only image she had from her mother. She felt the bed dip as Waverly sat back down next to her. 

“You look like her,” Waverly started softly watching as Nicole ran a trembling finger across the woman’s face.

“No, I don’t. I look like him. His eyes, his coloring, his height … his … abilities.” Nicole looked at her left hand, balling her fingers. 

Waverly wrapped her hands around it. “Inside, Nicole. She was good. So good! And so are you. Even your demon was good. I mean, she saved you, saved us.” 

Nicole gave a sad smile and turned to Waverly. “I miss her, sometimes. I think I always will. She was a part of me that’s now … gone.” 

“And that’s completely fine.” Waverly cupped Nicole’s cheek, smiling when she felt the other woman lean into it. “I love you.” 

Placing a soft kiss on Waverly’s palm, Nicole stood and walked to the small desk Waverly had tucked away in the corner. She put the picture on it, not hidden away, but not into the spotlight either. That was her past, making her who she is yet not defining her. “Thanks Waves.”

“For what?”

Nicole smiled. “For being you. For giving me space to figure out how to be me.” 

Waverly went over to Nicole and looped her arms around the redhead’s neck, hands clasped behind her neck. “You’re very welcome. I rather like who you turned out to be.” She sighed when Nicole’s arms automatically fell on her hips, feeling herself being pulled closer the redhead. She tilted her face up while gently bringing Nicole down. 

“Do you now?” Nicole inquired with a smile, nudging her nose against Waverly’s.

Waverly giggled and bit her lip. “You know … Wynonna is out and won’t be back for several hours at least …”

“What are you suggesting, Miss Earp?” The way Nicole smiled told Waverly she knew exactly what it was. 

“Oh, I don’t know. We could dig into that box of yours to see if everything is still in working order ... “ 

Now it was Nicole’s turn to bite her lip. “It would need rigorous testing. You sure you’re up for that?” 

Waverly replied by lifting herself on her toes and putting her lips on Nicole’s, who immediately responded with a groan. Her hands slid down just below Waverly’s buttocks and tensed her arms, easily lifting Waverly up. She may not have demon strength anymore, it was still enough to impress the brunette in her arms. Waverly shivered, locking her ankles around Nicole's lower back.

“God, that’s still so sexy,” Waverly mumbled against Nicole's lips.

Nicole grinned, carrying her the few steps to the bed. “I aim to please.” She carefully sat Waverly on the bed, following her down until her body covered Waverly completely. “You sure Wynonna’s out for a while? I think we traumatized her enough for one day.” 

Waverly started peppering kisses down Nicole’s throat and nodded. “We have the entire place to ourselves. You can be as loud as you want.” She giggled when Nicole arched an eyebrow. “Ok,  _ I _ can be as loud as I want.” She bit her lower lip. “And I plan to be really, really loud.”

Nicole blinked, the possibilities shooting through her mind. She lowered her lips for a surprisingly soft kiss, letting her lips linger. “I love you, Waverly Earp.” She went in for another kiss, followed by more, each one intensifying in passion. Waverly followed suit, her fingered tangled in Nicole's hair.

Some days Waverly still couldn't believe her luck. First finding Nicole, her unicorn as Jeremy liked to say. Then finding her again after she lost her. Those three months she was on her own were terribly lonely as she mourned and missed what she now believed was the other half of her soul. Now, with Nicole's hands roaming up and down her body, she felt complete. Happy. 

And the future could only become better. No matter what came on their way. They would face it together.

 

Fin

**Author's Note:**

> If you enjoyed it (or didn't), feel free to leave comments and/or kuddos!


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